Fungi cause serious problems in wood utilization, and environmentally benign wood protection is required as an alternative to traditional chemicals. Chitosan has shown promising antimicrobial properties against several microorganisms. In this study, we present the characterization of and antifungal properties of a commercial chitosan formulation developed for impregnation of wood. A broad range of chemical and mycological methods were used to evaluate the uptake, fixation, and antifungal properties of chitosan for wood preservation. The results show that the higher the uptake of chitosan the lower the relative recovery of chitosan in wood after leaching, and the higher the molecular weight of chitosan the higher the recovery. Chitosan with high molecular weight proved to be more efficient against decay fungi than chitosan with low molecular weight. The fungi tested on chitosan-amended nutrient agar medium were totally inhibited at 1% (w/v) concentration. In decay studies using small wood blocks, 4.8% (w/v) chitosan concentration gave the best protection against brown rot fungi. 相似文献
High and unpredictable mortality rates are observed in the larval rearing of cod (Gadus morhua). As a means of addressing this problem, we present a model-based estimator system which can be used to indirectly measure
the larval density through monitoring the live food dynamics and larval growth. The estimator has been evaluated in a conceptual
context using a preliminary model formulation, and the observability of the process has been investigated. It was found that
the two parameters, live food dynamics and larval growth, contain enough information for the larval density to be estimated
under noisy conditions, given the correct model. When the system is applied practically, the estimation error will depend
on the measurement and model accuracy; this is especially true with respect to the predictability of the feed intake rate
of the fish. 相似文献
Flanking sequences of the puroindoline a(pinA) and puroindoline b (pinB) genes from Triticum monococcum, T. urartu, Aegilops speltoides and A. tauschii were obtained by inverse PCR. Two accessions from each of these related diploid taxa were sequenced, and the sequences compared
to those of the soft hexaploid wheat cultivar `Penawawa'. As expected from the origin of the D-genome in hexaploid wheat,
the highest sequence identity was observed for the A. tauschii sequences, whereas the sequences for A.speltoides were the most divergent. The promoter sequences were further analyzed for putative regulatory elements, and the possible
significance of several highly conserved sequence motifs is discussed. Western blots of Triton X-114 extracted proteins separated
by SDS-PAGE confirmed the accumulation of pinA and pinB gene products in the endosperm of all the germplasm lines studied. The deduced amino acid sequences for the related diploid
taxa do not imply any major structural changes as compared to the wild-type T. aestivum puroindolines, and is therefore in agreement with the soft endosperm texture of these species.
This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. 相似文献
The Arctic is responding more rapidly to global warming than most other areas on our planet. Northward-flowing Atlantic Water is the major means of heat advection toward the Arctic and strongly affects the sea ice distribution. Records of its natural variability are critical for the understanding of feedback mechanisms and the future of the Arctic climate system, but continuous historical records reach back only ~150 years. Here, we present a multidecadal-scale record of ocean temperature variations during the past 2000 years, derived from marine sediments off Western Svalbard (79°N). We find that early-21st-century temperatures of Atlantic Water entering the Arctic Ocean are unprecedented over the past 2000 years and are presumably linked to the Arctic amplification of global warming. 相似文献
The Paleo-Eskimo Saqqaq and Independence I cultures, documented from archaeological remains in Northern Canada and Greenland, represent the earliest human expansion into the New World's northern extremes. However, their origin and genetic relationship to later cultures are unknown. We sequenced a mitochondrial genome from a Paleo-Eskimo human by using 3400-to 4500-year-old frozen hair excavated from an early Greenlandic Saqqaq settlement. The sample is distinct from modern Native Americans and Neo-Eskimos, falling within haplogroup D2a1, a group previously observed among modern Aleuts and Siberian Sireniki Yuit. This result suggests that the earliest migrants into the New World's northern extremes derived from populations in the Bering Sea area and were not directly related to Native Americans or the later Neo-Eskimos that replaced them. 相似文献
Na+/H+ antiporters are central to cellular salt and pH homeostasis. The structure of Escherichia coli NhaA was recently determined, but its mechanisms of transport and pH regulation remain elusive. We performed molecular dynamics simulations of NhaA that, with existing experimental data, enabled us to propose an atomically detailed model of antiporter function. Three conserved aspartates are key to our proposed mechanism: Asp164 (D164) is the Na+-binding site, D163 controls the alternating accessibility of this binding site to the cytoplasm or periplasm, and D133 is crucial for pH regulation. Consistent with experimental stoichiometry, two protons are required to transport a single Na+ ion: D163 protonates to reveal the Na+-binding site to the periplasm, and subsequent protonation of D164 releases Na+. Additional mutagenesis experiments further validated the model. 相似文献
The aim of the study was to develop an efficient glycerolysis system for the enzymatic production of monoacylglycerols (MAGs) containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. Glycerolysis has been widely applied in industry for the chemical production of food MAGs under high temperature. The enzymatic glycerolysis system at 40-70 degrees C is unfortunately a multiphase system, which leads to the lower reaction efficiency. A tert-butyl alcohol system was developed after careful evaluation and more than 20-fold of the reaction efficiency from this system was obtained compared to the solvent-free system. Novozym 435 was employed as a catalyst in the glycerolysis from the screening. In the batch reaction system with tert-butyl alcohol, temperature higher than 40 degrees C was favored. The glycerol/oil ratio was best in the study with 4.5 while the solvent weight ratio from 1 to 3 had little effect. In general, 60-70% yield can be obtained at 2 h in the stirred tank reactor. The continuous glycerolysis was conducted in a packed bed reactor. MAG yield up to 70% was reached at 30-40 min residence time. The continuous glycerolysis was more sensitive to the amount of tert-butyl alcohol, and in the weight ratio to oil more than 2 was favored. The continuous process was optimized with the assistance of response surface methodology. Optimal conditions for the packed bed reactor after all considerations were recommended as glycerol/oil 4:1 (mol/mol), temperature 40 degrees C, and residence time 45 min. The operation stability study showed that there was no slight reduction of reaction performance at more than 30 days, implying a high feasibility in practical applications. 相似文献
Seasonal dynamics of in situ gross nitrogen (N) mineralization rates were measured using the 15N-NH4+ isotope dilution method in a Danish soil subjected to four different agricultural practices (set aside, barley, winter wheat and clover). Results were compared to arginine ammonification in the soil samples measured as NH4+ production following addition of excess (1 mM) arginine. In the set aside, barley, winter wheat and clover soils the average annual rates of gross N mineralization (0.29, 0.60, 1.34 and 1.75 µg NH4+-N g-1 day-1, respectively) and arginine ammonification activity (0.21, 0.55, 0.88, and 1.33 µg NH4+-N g-1 h-1, respectively) were well correlated. Furthermore, the seasonal variations of gross N mineralization and arginine ammonification activities were very similar, showing rapid responses to rainfall and generally higher activities in wetted soils. As tested in the laboratory, the arginine ammonification activity correlated well with heterotrophic microbial respiration activity (CO2 production) in soil samples and further displayed a simple, one-component Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a high affinity for arginine (Km value of 48 µM LJ µM) as determined from non-linear parameter estimation. This indicated that arginine ammonification activity was primarily due to microorganisms, and the activity was also shown to be at a minimum in sterile soil samples. All evidence thus supported that our standard assay of arginine ammonification activity provides a good index of gross N mineralization rates by the microorganisms in soil under in situ conditions. 相似文献
Atmospheric deposition of N and S appears to have caused nutrient imbalance in Norway spruce stands in southern Sweden. This calls for a change of forest management to procedures that promote nutrient balance. Studies have shown lower soil acidity in Norway spruce/deciduous mixed stands than in spruce monocultures, but the tree nutrient status in such mixtures has not been much investigated so far.
The nutrient status of Norway spruce foliage and top mineral soil chemistry in monocultures and in stands mixed with beech, birch, or oak was investigated through paired comparisons on 30 sites in southern Sweden (27 sites) and eastern Denmark (three sites). In total, 45 mixed stands and 34 pure stands were included in the study.
Spruce needles from mixed stands had higher concentrations and ratios to N of K, P, and Zn than needles from pure spruce stands. Among the mixed stands, the K status appeared to be positively correlated with the percentage of deciduous tree basal area. Soil samples from mixed stands had a higher Mg concentration, base saturation, and BC/Al ratio than soil samples from pure stands. The spruce needle nutrient status was comparable in pure stands on fertile sites and in mixed stands on poor sites. We did not detect any differences in spruce tree growth between pure and mixed stands.
This paper discusses possible reasons for a positive effect on the tree nutrient status in mixed-species stands and the possibility of using mixed-species stands as a forest management procedure to avoid nutrient imbalance. 相似文献