Genetic Diversity Among <Emphasis Type="Italic">Juglans Regia</Emphasis> Genotypes Based on Morphological Characters of Nut

Walnut germplasm from three different sites in Oltenia region, located in the southwestern part of Romania, was evaluated to determine the variability and to identify promising types. A total of 64 genotypes were evaluated using morphological characteristics of nuts. Considerable genetic variation in the measured traits was found in native trees which were of seedling origin. Variability found was between 7.62–20.90?g in nut weight, between 31.17 and 53.60?mm in nut length, between 24.81 and 37.48?mm in nut diameter I, and between 23.64 and 36.18?mm in nut diameter II. Separation of the three areas in multivariate space was assessed by calculating the Mahalanobis distance. The highest inter-populations value was observed between Bechet and Ostroveni population (1.83), followed by Sadova and Ostroveni population (1.08), which indicates a wide genetic distance between these populations. Cluster analyses showed a considerable diversity within the same germplasm population. The results indicated that most of genotypes were suitable in terms of morphological traits of nut. These data demonstrated large phenotypic diversity of nut among the selected genotypes that can be considered as a valuable gene stock for breeding programs.     

Dynamics of soil protozoa using a direct count method

We adapted a direct count method for obtaining counts of active protozoa that was not overly time consuming. Soil samples from an agricultural field were examined at 1- to 3-day intervals three times through the year. The three sampling periods represented different weather conditions. At each sampling event, fresh soil samples were extracted upon return to the laboratory for protozoa. These were enumerated at the microscope without prior culture, in soil–water suspension dilutions. We describe a procedure that allowed all samples to be processed in a few hours. Our results suggest there is good reproducibility and agreement between samples collected on the same day. Our data resolve differences between days as soil conditions changed slowly with drying or wetting. This procedure is suitable for describing species active at the time of sampling. Unlike the ‘most probable number’ procedure that relies on cultivable species, it is less prone to enumerating excysting individuals, and it provides better resolution between sampling dates, with a relatively low number of samples.     

电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）同时测定土壤中多种元素

为优化ICP-MS法同时测定土壤中多种元素的测定条件,采用在线加入内标的方法,探讨同时测定元素Li、Be、Sc、Ge﹑Mo、Sb、W、Tl、Bi、Th、U的参数条件,并对优化后的条件进行质量水平评价。试验结果表明：元素检出限为0.003～0.450μg/L;Δlgc〈0.04;RSD%〈10（n=12）;加标回收率在98%～108%之间。     

Vegetative propagation of Vitellaria paradoxa by grafting

Vitellaria paradoxa or karité is a wild fruit-bearing tree species of sudano-sahelian parklands that plays an important socio-economic role in Sub-Saharan Africa due to the commercial and domestic value of the fruits. Principal constraints of karité fruit production are: long juvenile phase, slow growth, genetic variability and lack of knowledge regarding the cultivation of the species. To address these constraints and to enhance productivity and quality, five methods of grafting (side cleft, top cleft, tongue, chip budding and side veneer), two methods of pre-treatment of scions and rootstocks (washing with 10% sodium hypochlorite to wash off latex and sterilise and a control without washing), and two methods of protection of grafts against desiccation (covering with white plastic sheet and aluminium foil) were tested. The results showed decreasing success of survival of grafts 16 weeks after grafting for the five grafting techniques: side cleft (86.1%), tongue (80.9%), top cleft (78.1%), chip budding (38.1%) and side veneer (20.7%) grafting methods. The results also showed May to be the optimum time for grafting, with high rates of shoot growth and survival of grafts. The average annual growth rate of grafts was 12.6 cm. The pre-treatment of scions with 10% sodium hypochlorite, however, had no significant effect on survival of scions. There was also no significant difference in survival of scions between the two methods of protection of grafts against desiccation (aluminium foil and plastic sheet). Two grafts produced fruits two years after grafting using side veneer grafting.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Implementation analysis of transfer of development rights for conserving privately owned built heritage in Hong Kong: A transactions costs perspective

Transfer of development rights (TDR) programs are introduced as an alternative institutional innovation to the traditional regulatory instruments for land development. They meet the demand for development and conservation while balancing the conflicts between public and private interests with minimal use of public funds. Most TDR literature is about nature conservation and there is little focus on the complicated process and diverse stakeholders’ interests of urban land use in dealing with built heritage conservation. Previous studies show that the success of TDR programs depends on various elements, especially policy design and implementation approaches. The design and implementation of TDR programs involves transaction costs that can reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs. This paper aims at developing a framework for analyzing TDR programs. This proposed framework not only takes transactions costs into account, but also provides a basis for decision makers to decipher the process of informal TDR. Using Hong Kong as a case study, three TDR implementation modes are selected to examine how different informal institutional arrangements have resulted in specific transaction costs in practice and hindered TDR projects. Our findings, which are informed by transactions costs economics, provide practical insights in order to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of TDR programs, particularly in informal contexts.     

Assembly of feline calicivirus-like particle and its immunogenicity

Virus-like particles (VLPs) were produced in insect cells infected with a recombinant baculovirus containing the capsid gene of feline calicivirus strain F9 (FCV-F9). The FCV VLPs were morphologically and antigenically similar to the native virus and contained a single capsid protein with a molecular weight of approximately 60 kDa that reacted with FCV antiserum. Moreover, following immunization of rabbits, VLPs were able to elicit neutralizing antibodies against several FCV strains isolated from clinical samples. Our preliminary results showed that FCV-VLP could be considered a candidate vaccine against FCV infections.     

Phenological and pomological properties of promising walnut (Juglans regia L.) genotype with cluster fruiting from selected native population in Oltenia,Romania

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Lateral fruiting in walnut is an important feature and many breeding programs follow this criterion. Following the evaluation of walnut genotypes from Padea...     

M gene evolution of canine coronavirus in naturally infected dogs

Two stray pups (A and B), three and five months old, respectively, both naturally infected with canine coronavirus (CCoV), were studied for 180 days. The virus was detected intermittently in the pups' faeces by PCR for periods of 156 and 146 days, respectively. Sequence analysis of a fragment of the gene encoding the M protein revealed that the viruses detected at the onset of the infection were very similar to typical strains of CCoV, whereas from 42 days after infection in pup A and 40 days after infection in pup B the viruses had nucleotide and amino acid mutations resembling sequences in feline coronavirus.