Synthesis and antifungal activity of novel sclerotiorin analogues

Sclerotiorin 1, first isolated from Penicillium sclerotiorum, has weak antifungal activity and belongs to the azaphilone-type family of natural products. Several series of sclerotiorin analogues were designed and synthesized with the aim of discovering novel fungicides with improved activity. The syntheses involved two key steps, cycloisomerization and then oxidation, and used a simple and efficient Sonogashira cross-coupling reaction to construct the required functionalized precursor. With sclerotiorin as a control, the activities of the newly synthesized analogues were evaluated against seven fungal pathogens, and several promising candidates (compounds 3a?, 3d?, 3e?, 3f? and 3k?) with greater activity and simpler structures than sclerotiorin were discovered. In addition, preliminary structure-activity relationships were studied, which revealed that not only the chlorine or bromine substituent at the 5-position of the nucleus but also the phenyl group at the 3-position and the substituent pattern on it contributed crucially to the observed antifungal activity. Analogues with a methyl substituent at the 1-position have reduced levels of activity, while those with a free hydroxyl group in place of acetoxy at the quaternary center of the bicyclic ring system retain activity.     

A Recombinant ω-Gliadin-like D-Type Glutenin and an α-Gliadin from Wheat (Triticum aestivum): Two Immunoglobulin E Binding Proteins, Useful for the Diagnosis of Wheat-Dependent Allergies

Among the wheat prolamins, D-type glutenins display a highly repetitive sequence similar to ω-gliadins, but they contain a cysteine, that allows them to be included in the gluten macropolymers. An ω-gliadin-like D-type glutenin, an α-gliadin, and an ω5-gliadin-like D-type glutenin were obtained as recombinant proteins and compared using synchrotron radiation circular dichroism. This technique evidenced the strong thermostability of the ω5-gliadin-like protein. The IgE reactivity of recombinant proteins was evaluated using 45 sera from wheat-allergic patients. The sera from patients diagnosed with cutaneous hypersensitivity to hydrolyzed wheat proteins often reacted with the ω-gliadin-like D-type glutenin and α-gliadin, whereas the IgE reaction was less frequent after dietary sensitization. So, these two proteins could be useful to diagnose these diseases. The sera from patients with exercise-induced anaphylaxis recognized the ω5-gliadin-like protein as a positive control and, less frequently, the other proteins tested. Only some sera from patients with baker's asthma reacted with the proteins tested.     

Effect of soil moisture and bovine urine on microbial stress

While many studies have examined the cycling of urinary nutrients, few have focused on the effects ruminant urine might have on the soil microbial community. Urine application can cause microbial communities to become stressed, potentially changing community composition and microbial function with subsequent effects on nutrient dynamics. Identification of the factors that stress microbes may assist in explaining ruminant urine effects on nutrient cycling. In this laboratory study bovine urine, with either a high (15.0 g K⁺ l^?1) or low (10.4 g K⁺ l^?1) salt concentration, was added to repacked soil cores maintained at high or low soil moisture contents (70 or 35% water-filled pore space, respectively). Control cores did not receive urine. Microbial stress was measured using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarker ratios. Urine addition increased stress as indicated by a decrease in the iso15:0/anteiso15:0 PLFA ratio from >1.35 to <0.95 in both wet and dry soils and by an increase in the 18:1ω9trans/18:1ω9cis PLFA ratio from 1.4 to 1.9 from day 8 onwards in wet soils. Higher stress was indicated by a lower Gram-positive/Gram-negative PLFA ratio in the urine treatments than in the control treatments on day 29 and this may have been a response to the reduction in substrate availability as the experiment progressed. The PLFA biomarkers showed that the salt treatments did not induce stress. Stress induced by urine addition and wet soil treatments was also indicated by principal component analyses and the metabolic quotient for CO₂, respectively. Thus microbial stress was induced by both urine addition and high soil moisture content, but not specifically by increasing the urinary salt concentration.     

Short-term consequences of spatial heterogeneity in soil nitrogen concentrations caused by urine patches of different sizes

The scale of spatial heterogeneity in soil nitrogen (N) concentrations varies considerably in grazed systems, because grazers vary in the volume of urine they excrete. This could affect how urine-N is processed, and subsequently how much N is lost from the system, as diffusion and plant effects on soil nutrient concentrations can be scale-dependent. Two field experiments were performed; one measured the impact of urine patch size (small, medium or large) on soil inorganic N pools and fluxes over time, and the other assessed whether urine patch size affected plant responses and system N retention even if the same total amount of urine was applied. Soil from inside small urine patches retained inorganic N for shorter amounts of time, resulting in lower plant biomass and N uptake than that inside larger patches. Although system nitrogen retention was not affected by patch size, it appeared that larger patches had a greater potential to lose N due to the longer period over which soil inorganic N concentrations remained high. This suggests that systems grazed by larger organisms are more prone to lose N through patch size effects than those grazed by smaller ones.     

Local and landscape factors determine functional bird diversity in Indonesian cacao agroforestry

Large-scale intensification of smallholder cacao management is currently affecting the agroforestry landscapes of Sulawesi (Indonesia), the world’s third largest cacao producer. Little is known about how this shift from diverse plantations to full-sun cacao will affect functionally important biodiversity within the agroecosystem, and how this is related to landscape-wide patterns in land-use and natural ecosystems. We recorded birds in 43 cacao plots differing in woody and herbaceous vegetation as well as distance to forest in two valleys around the Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi. Species richness of frugivores and nectarivores decreased with increasing distance to forest, whereas granivorous birds increased in richness. Forest specialists, but not habitat generalists, responded positively to forest edge proximity. Species richness of all functional groups except seed eaters increased at higher density of tall shade trees. Greater species richness of shade trees was associated with higher species richness of frugivores and nectarivores, while herbaceous vegetation did not have a strong impact on the avifauna. The positive effect of shade trees was independent of distance to forest. In conclusion, our study shows the relative importance of local and landscape effects on bird diversity with shade trees being critical for bird conservation in cacao agroforestry landscapes.     

Six years of habitat modification in a tropical rainforest margin of Indonesia do not affect bird diversity but endemic forest species

Studies on temporal changes of tropical bird communities in response to habitat modification are rare. We quantified changes in bird assemblages at the rainforest margin of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, over an interval of 6 years. Standardized bird counts were conducted in the years 2001/2002 and 2008 at 15 census points representing natural forest, secondary forest, agroforest and openland sites. Although overall species richness remained nearly identical, different species groups were affected unequally by habitat modification within the forest margin landscape. The mostly endemic forest species declined in abundance (72.0% of forest species) and were detected at fewer census points in 2008 (56.0%). In contrast, 81.8% of the solely widespread openland birds became more abundant and 63.6% of the species were recorded at a larger number of census points. Hence, recent human activities in the forest margin ecotone negatively affected species of high conservation value. Species richness turned out to be a poor indicator of habitat change, and our results underline the importance of considering species identities. Biotic homogenization as result of habitat conversion is a global phenomenon. In our study, the winners were widespread openland species, while the losers were endemic forest birds. In conclusion, our study shows that 6 years of land-use change had negative impacts on bird community structure and endangered species, but not on overall bird species richness.     

竹农参与技术创新模式的构建

以解决技术供求矛盾为前提,把政府各级部门、科研机构、竹农、竹加工企业之间存在一种“断层”关系“接续”起来,提出了“接续”方法,即竹农参与技术创新模式的实施和运用。在本文中,提出了竹农参与技术创新模式的基本要求、参与效果的指标、参与模式的基本思路、基本运行机制和主要特色。     

基于变水位静水法的梯形渠道渗漏强度函数构建及验证

变水位静水法受规范中观测方法限制,相邻2次观测时间段的计算只能代表平均水深的平均渗漏强度,且将观测期间渠道渗漏的非线性过程假设为线性变化,该假设将导致计算误差,从而使拟合的渗漏强度幂函数存在系统误差。该文以渠道内水位随时间的渗漏过程拟合函数为基础,建立了关于梯形渠道变水位静水法(dropping head ponding test,DHPT)的渗漏强度函数。以石津灌区6种梯形衬砌渠道的变水位静水法试验为依据进行实例分析,分析获得6种梯形渠道的传统幂函数和DHPT渗漏强度函数,并应用各函数进行了渗漏时长计算。通过渗漏时长计算值与实测值对比表明,DHPT函数平均估计误差0.978 h,最大相对误差为1.552%;而传统方法平均估计误差为3.997 h,最大相对误差为5.632%。表明DHPT函数能够更好地描述梯形渠道的渗漏过程,可用于计算点水深下的渗漏强度。通过DHPT函数与传统方法的计算结果对比,表明传统方法计算的渗漏强度普遍偏高,实例中平均误差达到0.248 L/(m~2·h),而DHPT函数直接建立于观测数据之间的函数关系,可避免线性假设的影响,提高计算精度,为分析变水位工况下的渠道水利用系数提供依据。     

Relating MODIS vegetation index time-series with structure,light absorption and stem production of fast-growing Eucalyptus plantations

By allowing the estimation of forest structural and biophysical characteristics at different temporal and spatial scales, remote sensing may contribute to our understanding and monitoring of planted forests. Here, we studied 9-year time-series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on a network of 16 stands in fast-growing Eucalyptus plantations in São Paulo State, Brazil. We aimed to examine the relationships between NDVI time-series spanning entire rotations and stand structural characteristics (volume, dominant height, mean annual increment) in these simple forest ecosystems. Our second objective was to examine spatial and temporal variations of light use efficiency for wood production, by comparing time-series of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (APAR) with inventory data.