Anaerobic Eury- and Crenarchaeota inhabit ectomycorrhizas of boreal forest Scots pine

Members of the euryarchaeotal genera Methanolobus and Halobacterium as well as group 1.1c Crenarchaeota were enriched from ectomycorrhizal samples and cultured under anaerobic conditions. 16S rRNA gene sequences of Methanolobus were obtained in a H₂ + CO₂ atmosphere and autofluorescent putatively methanogenic microbial cells were detected by epifluorescence microscopy of the anaerobic methane-producing enrichment cultures. Halobacterium and group 1.1c Crenarchaeota grew anaerobically when either H₂ or CH₄ was added to the atmosphere. Group 1.1c Crenarchaeota were also enriched under aerobic conditions on mineral media, but only when methane or methanol was added as carbon sources. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of 1.1c Crenarchaeota grown under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions were highly similar. Our study demonstrates the growth of group 1.1c Crenarchaeota and Halobacteria derived from non-extreme soil environment in non-saline enrichments under anaerobic conditions. The results suggest that 1.1c Crenarchaeota may play a role in the cycling of C-1 substrates in the boreal forest soil ecosystem.     

Staling Effects When Adding Low Amounts of Normal and Heat‐Treated Barley Flour to a Wheat Bread

The properties of a white wheat bread could be changed by adding normal or heat‐treated barley flour in small amounts (2 and 4%) to a white wheat bread recipe. Differences regarding gelatinization as well as retrogradation properties were found when analyzing the two flours in model systems. The heat‐treated flour was fully gelatinized due to prior time, temperature, and pressure treatment and could therefore absorb larger amounts of water than the other flours. In gelatinized model systems with 40% flour (dwb), the heat‐treated barley flour contained less retrograded amylopectin as compared with normal barley flour after storage for up to 14 days, whereas no differences were found with 20% flour (dwb). However, stored breads showed an increased retrogradation of amylopectin (as measured by differential scanning calorimetry [DSC]) when 2% pretreated barley flour was added as compared with addition of 2% normal barley flour. On the other hand, there were no significant differences at the 4% level. Addition of either of the barley flours resulted in less firm breads during storage as compared with the control breads. Increased water absorption in barley flour and thus increased water content in the breads or different water‐binding capacities of the flour blends could explain these results. The present study indicated that water had a stronger influence on bread firmness than the retrogradation of amylopectin. This conclusion was based on breads with pretreated barley flour being less firm than breads with normal barley flour, although the retrogradation, as determined by DSC, was higher.     

Early selection for resistance to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterobasidion parviporum</Emphasis> in Norway spruce is not likely to adversely affect growth and wood quality traits in late-age performance

Infections with Heterobasidion parviporum devalue the Norway spruce timber as the decayed wood does not meet the necessary quality requirements for sawing. To evaluate the incorporation of disease resistance in the Norway spruce breeding strategy, an inoculation experiment with H. parviporum on 2-year-old progenies of 466 open-pollinated families was conducted under greenhouse (nursery) conditions. Lesion length in the phloem (LL), fungal growth in sapwood (FG) and growth (D) were measured on an average of 10 seedlings for each family. The genetic variation and genetic correlations between both LL, FG and growth in the nursery trial and wood quality traits measured previously from 21-year old trees in two progeny trials, including solid-wood quality traits (wood density, and modulus of elasticity) and fiber properties traits (radial fiber width, tangential fiber width, fiber wall thickness, fiber coarseness, microfibril angle and fiber length). For both LL and FG, large coefficients of phenotypic variation (>?26%) and genetic variation (>?46%) were detected. Heritabilities of LL and FG were 0.33 and 0.42, respectively. We found no significant correlations between wood quality traits and growth in the field progeny trials with neither LL nor FG in the nursery trial. Our data suggest that the genetic gains may reach 41 and 52% from mass selection by LL and FG, respectively. Early selection for resistance to H. parviporum based on assessments of fungal spread in the sapwood in nursery material, FG, will not adversely affect growth and wood quality traits in late-age performance.     

京冀蔬菜均衡供应分析及对策建议

北京蔬菜自给率偏低,随着城乡居民对"菜篮子"产品的需求日益提高,加强"菜篮子"区域间合作的需求已日益迫切。而京冀蔬菜产业联系紧密,在京津冀协同发展背景下,开展蔬菜生产与流通调研,加强两地供需对接,具有重要现实意义。该研究在对河北省环京蔬菜生产大县调研基础上,从供求数量、结构、质量、渠道4个方面对京冀蔬菜均衡供应进行对比分析,并针对京冀蔬菜均衡供应在体制机制、生产、流通、销售等环节存在的问题,从政策机制、高端生产、流通网络、信息服务方面提出保障京冀蔬菜均衡供应的有关对策建议。以期达到推动京冀区域农产品产销对接和"菜篮子"供应保障的目的。     

Detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in tissue samples by sequence capture and fluorescent PCR based on the 16S rRNA gene

The 16S rRNA genes from eight isolates of Renibacterium salmoninarum with different origins and dates of isolation were sequenced to evaluate the possibility to construct a diagnostic PCR system with target sites within this gene. The sequences were found to be identical but for one single position in one of the isolates, and two regions with an adequate number of nucleotide differences as compared to closely related species were identified. Species-specific fluorescent PCR primers complementary to these regions were constructed as well as oligonucleotides for DNA preparation by sequence capture. A mimic molecule was constructed to be used as an internal control. The PCR was specific and allowed the detection of DNA equivalent to 1-10 R. salmoninarum genomes per reaction. The DNA preparation with sequence capture and analysis by PCR with a mimic was found to be a reliable method for analysis of kidneys from fish with BKD. The amount of PCR inhibiting substances present in the tissue was reduced, and the relevant DNA was concentrated in the capture step. Furthermore, the use of the mimic molecule in the system assured that false negative results could be identified.     

Seismic trapped modes in the oroville and san andreas fault zones

Three-component borehole seismic profiling of the recently active Oroville, California, normal fault and microearthquake event recording with a near-fault three-component borehole seismometer on the San Andreas fault at Parkfield, California, have shown numerous instances of pronounced dispersive wave trains following the shear wave arrivals. These wave trains are interpreted as fault zone-trapped seismic modes. Parkfield earthquakes exciting trapped modes have been located as deep as 10 kilometers, as shallow as 4 kilometers, and extend 12 kilometers along the fault on either side of the recording station. Selected Oroville and Parkfield wave forms are modeled as the fundamental and first higher trapped SH modes of a narrow low-velocity layer at the fault. Modeling results suggest that the Oroville fault zone is 18 meters wide at depth and has a shear wave velocity of 1 kilometer per second, whereas at Parkfield, the fault gouge is 100 to 150 meters wide and has a shear wave velocity of 1.1 to 1.8 kilometers per second. These low-velocity layers are probably the rupture planes on which earthquakes occur.