Socioeconomic factors influencing global paper and paperboard demand

To clarify the socioeconomic factors influencing global paper and paperboard demand, a panel data analysis was conducted covering the period 1961–2014. This study used paper and paperboard demand as the dependent variable, and a country’s economic level, Internet usage rate, plastic packaging demand, and time trend as the explanatory variables. An inverse U-shaped quadratic relationship, such as an environmental Kuznets curve, was found between economic level and paper and paperboard demand, which saturates and begins to decline as economic level increases. The economic level representing the turning point differs significantly with the use, ranging from around 37,000 US$/person for newsprint paper to around 66,000 US$/person for printing and writing paper. For both newsprint paper and printing and writing paper, demand declines owing to the spread of the Internet as the economic level rises, although this reductive effect is greater for printing and writing paper than for newsprint paper. A substitution relationship is not found between wrapping paper and corrugated cardboard on the one hand and plastic packaging on the other hand as the economic level becomes higher.     

Increases in pig major acute-phase protein in wasting pigs brought to the abattoir

Plasma proteins of wasting pigs were quantitatively and qualitatively compared with those of normal fattening pigs. Higher expression of a 120 kDa protein was observed in the plasma of wasting pigs by SDS-PAGE. This protein was identified as pig major acute-phase protein (Pig-MAP) by proteomic analysis using two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The plasma concentration of Pig-MAP in wasting pigs was 7-fold higher than that of normal ones.     

Phosphite Inhibits Development of the Nematodes Heterodera avenae and Meloidogyne marylandi in Cereals

ABSTRACT Phosphonic acid (H(3)PO(3)) solutions were applied to wheat or to bristle oat as soil drenches before inoculation with juveniles of the sedentary, endoparasitic nematodes Heterodera avenae or Meloidogyne marylandi. All the solutions, which were pH adjusted and added at levels as low as 0.63 mg of phosphite (HPO(3)(2-)) per plant, reduced the numbers of H. avenae females and M. marylandi egg masses. Phosphate (PO(4)(3-)), applied as potassium phosphate at the same concentrations, did not reduce the number of female nematodes on the wheat. Addition of phosphate to the phosphite solutions did not change the inhibitory effect of phosphite on H. avenae, but it reduced phosphite's effect on M. marylandi. Phosphite also reduced the number of H. avenae females when applied as many as 20 days after addition of nematodes. The phosphite treatment did not prevent M. marylandi juveniles from penetrating wheat roots or inducing giant cells. However, phosphite inhibited giant cell development: 14 days after inoculation, the giant cells in the phosphite-treated wheat were almost completely vacuolated, whereas those in untreated wheat contained dense cytoplasm.     

Simple and sensitive BIO-PCR detection of potato blackleg pathogens from stem,tuber, and soil samples

Journal of General Plant Pathology - A BIO-PCR was developed for the detection of potato blackleg pathogens, including Pectobacterium wasabiae (Pw), P. atrosepticum (Pa), P. carotovorum subsp....     

Nematicidal activity of Ochradenus baccatus against the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica

Ochradenus baccatus is a widely distributed shrub in desert regions of the Middle East and North Africa. This plant's nematicidal activity against the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica was evaluated because it has been found to contain exceptionally high levels of glucosinolates. In in vitro assays with aqueous extracts of the plant, 100% of second‐stage juveniles were immobilized after exposure to 4% root‐core extract for 48 h; 8% root‐core extract suppressed their hatching by 87%, whereas stem, flower and root bark showed lower activity. Incorporation of root core or bark into the soil, as fresh or dry powder at 1 and 0·5% (w/w), respectively, reduced the number of nematodes recovered from the soil by 95–100%, whereas the flower and stem were much less effective. Results from further pot experiments indicated that only the root bark consistently contains nematicidal compounds which are effective in soil, whereas the nematicidal activity of the root core in soil was inconsistent. The presence of non‐volatile lipophilic and lipophobic nematicidal compounds in the root bark was suggested by extraction with different polar solvents, but these compounds do not seem to be isothiocyanates – glucosinolate‐hydrolysed compounds with nematicidal activity. Very poor host status of Ochradenus baccatus to M. javanica, M. incognita and M. hapla, but with root‐penetration rates of juveniles similar to those in tomato roots, suggest that this plant may be used as a cover plant or trap plant to reduce nematode populations in the soil.     

Immunohistochemical detection of the enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase and hormones of the islets of Langerhans in spontaneous insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in cattle

Immunohistochemical expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) enzyme was detected in the pancreatic islets of 12 cattle with spontaneous insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The most characteristic changes were atrophy and decreased number of pancreatic islets, enlarged islets with vacuolated beta cells, and lymphocytic islet adenitis. Atrophied islets were composed of small islet cells without cytoplasmic insulin-positive granules. Immunohistochemically, GAD was not found in the cytoplasm of atrophied islet cells. Furthermore, enlarged islets consisting of islet cells with vacuolated cytoplasm were frequently observed. The cytoplasm of vacuolated cells contained very few GAD- and insulin-positive granules, indicating beta cell destruction. Enlarged islets with mild lymphocytic infiltrates were frequently observed. These findings suggest that islet cells in cattle with IDDM lose their insulin synthesis function and their ability to regulate hormonal secretion of alpha and delta cells.     

A DGGE analysis shows that crop rotation systems influence the bacterial and fungal communities in soils

A better understanding of the relationships among different cropping systems, their effects on soil microbial ecology, and their effects on crop health and productivity is necessary for the development of more efficient, sustainable crop production systems. We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to determine the impacts of crop rotations and crop types on bacterial and fungal communities in the soil. The communities of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and fungal 18S rRNA genes were analyzed in experimental field plots that were kept under 4 different crop rotation systems from 1999 to 2008 (continuous cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.), cabbage–lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) rotation, cabbage–radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. longipinnatus L.H. Bailey) rotation, and a 3-year crop rotation). A principal component analysis (PCA) and a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that both the bacterial and fungal communities in bulk soils were influenced by the crop rotation systems. However, the primary factors influencing each community differed: bacterial communities were most affected by soil properties (especially carbon content), while fungal communities were influenced most strongly by rotation times. To elucidate factors that may cause differences in crop rhizosphere microbial communities, the microbial communities in the harvested cabbage rhizospheres were also analyzed. The results suggest that the fungal communities in bulk soil are related to the rhizosphere fungal communities. Our present study indicates that the microbial communities in bulk and rhizosphere soils could be managed by crop rotation systems.     

Misidentification of soil bacteria by fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and BIOLOG analyses

 Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis is commonly used by soil scientists as a sole method for identifying soil bacteria. We observed discrepancies with this method for identifying certain species of bacteria. Therefore, we used carbon substrate oxidation patterns (BIOLOG) and some simple physical and chemical tests to determine the extent of these discrepancies. Identification with FAME profiles gave false positives for Arthrobacter globiformis, Micrococcus kristinae, and M. luteus, and identification with BIOLOG patterns gave a false positive identification for A. globiformis. A visual check and Gram stain are recommended when FAME analysis identifies soil isolates as M. kristinae or M. luteus, and an additional spore formation test is recommended when FAME and BIOLOG analyses identify isolates as A. globiformis. Received: 14 January 2000