Contributions to the moss flora of Artvin region (Hatila Valley National Park-Turkey)

Field studies were organized for exploring the moss flora of Hatila Valley National Park of Artvin (Turkey) during spring-summer period in 2005-2006. The taxonomic survey yielded eighty-five moss taxa o(comprises of seventy-nine species, six varieties) belonging to 44 genera of 16 families in Hatila Valley National Park of Artvin, Turkey. Bryum rubens Milt., Dicranodontium uncinatufm (Harv.) A. Jaeger., Eurhynchium hians var. rigidum (Boul.) Düll., Hypnum jutlandicum Holmen and Warncke, Rhynchostegiella jacquinii (Garov.) Limpr. and Pseudocrossidium hornschuchianum (Schultz) R. H. Z ander are new records for A4 grid square (40 degrees-42' N, 38 degrees-42' E) determined. All taxa were found for the first time in Artvin. For every each taxon, the habitat pattern and distribution data are presented.     

Effect of thermal modification on the properties of narrow-leaved ash and chestnut

The concept of thermal modification has evolved from a challenging research program to commercial reality in several European countries in recent years. The aim of this study is to determine the change of various physical properties (oven-dry density, air-dry density, weight loss, swelling and anti-swelling efficiency (ASE)), compression strength parallel to grain, colour difference (ΔE), glossiness and surface roughness of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.) and chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) woods after heat treatment under different temperatures and durations. For this study two different temperatures (160 °C and 180 °C) and two different durations (2 h and 4 h) were considered. A stylus method was employed to evaluate the surface characteristics of the samples. Roughness measurements by the stylus method were made in the direction perpendicular to the fiber. Four main roughness parameters which are mean arithmetic deviation of profile (R_a), mean peak-to-valley height (R_z), root mean square roughness (R_q), and maximum roughness (R_y) obtained from the surface of wood were used to evaluate the effect of heat treatment on the surface characteristics of the specimens. The properties studied were significantly different (p = 0.05) at two temperatures and two durations of heat treatment. Based on the findings of this study, the results showed that oven-dry density, air-dry density, swelling, compression strength parallel to grain and surface roughness decreases with increasing heat treatment temperature and time.     

Development of ecoregion-based merchantable volume systems for Pinus brutia Ten. and Pinus nigra Arnold. in southern Turkey

Estimating individual tree volume is one of the essential building blocks in forest growth and yield models.Ecologically based taper equations provide accurate volume predictions and allow classification by merchantable sizes, assisting in sustainable forest management.In the present study, ecoregion-based compatible volume systems for brutian pine and black pine in the three ecoregions of southern Turkey were developed. Several well-known taper functions were evaluated. A secondorder continuous-time autoregressive error structure was used to correct the inherent autocorrelation in the hierarchical data, allowing the model to be applied to irregularly spaced and unbalanced data. The compatible segmented model of Fang et al.(For Sci 46:1–12, 2000) best described the experimental data. It is therefore recommended for estimating diameter at a specific height, height to a specific diameter, merchantable volume, and total volume for the three ecoregions and two species analyzed. The nonlinearextra sum of squares method indicated differences in ecoregion and tree-specific taper functions. A different taper function should therefore be used for each pine species and ecoregion in southern Turkey. Using ecoregionspecific taper equations allows making more robust estimations and, therefore, will enhance the accuracy of diameter at different heights and volume predictions.     

Rapid immunofiltration assay based on colloidal gold–protein G conjugate as an alternative screening test for bovine and ovine brucellosis

A non-enzymatic rapid immunofiltration assay (NERIFA) was developed as an alternative field test for rapid detection of anti-Brucella antibody in bovine and ovine sera. The assay was based on Brucella abortus lipopolysaccharide as diagnostic antigen and colloidal gold particle–protein G conjugate as detection reagent. Its diagnostic performance was evaluated using undiluted well-defined positive and negative serum samples in comparison with Rose Bengal test (RBT), complement fixation test (CFT) and a commercial and an in-house indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A perfect test agreement was found between NERIFA and ELISAs by kappa statistics. In addition, McNemar’s analysis of the results showed that the RBT for bovine sera and the CFT for ovine sera were found significantly less performant than indirect ELISAs and NERIFA. The results of the present study indicated that the NERIFA could be considered as a simple, rapid, and accurate field test for screening of ovine and bovine brucellosis. Therefore, this test constitutes a high potential to be used as an alternative model particularly in brucellosis prevalent tropical and subtropical geographical areas.     

A recombinant PvpA protein-based diagnostic prototype for rapid screening of chicken Mycoplasma gallisepticum infections

Mycoplasma gallisepticum is the primary agent of chronic respiratory disease causing important economic losses in the poultry industry. Serological monitoring is essential to maintain mycoplasma-free breeder flocks and often complicated by the cross-reactions between different mycoplasma species. To overcome serological cross-reactions, a large fragment of the M. gallisepticum PvpA cytadhesin, species-specific surface-exposed protein, was produced in E. coli as a recombinant protein (rPvpA336) and used as a potential diagnostic antigen. The rPvpA336 protein possesses 336 mycoplasma-specific amino acids with relative molecular weight of 44 kDa. A deletion region of 37 amino acids was identified when compared to the wild-type PvpA protein. Immunoreactivity of the rPvpA336 protein has been demonstrated by Western blot analysis with M. gallisepticum-positive and -negative chicken sera. Furthermore, an enzymatic rapid immunofiltration assay (ERIFA) prototype based on the rPvpA336 protein has been developed and its species-specific detection capability has been demonstrated by using M. gallisepticum and/or M. synoviae-positive and -negative chicken sera. In addition to its species-specificity, the ERIFA prototype presents certain advantages such as rapidity, field-applicability and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, these advantages would make the prototype a species-specific rapid diagnostic tool of choice in the field and limited laboratory conditions for screening M. gallisepticum infections.     

Change in Some Glycoalkaloids of Potato under Different Storage Regimes

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food crop worldwide. Potato tubers can be stored to provide continuity of supply between production seasons, but it is important that they be stored under appropriate conditions as incorrect storage will result in deterioration in end user quality and may increase glycoalkaloid levels. We have investigated the effects of types of household storage on potato glycoalkaloid content (total glycoalkaloids [TGA]; α-solanine; α-chaconine) in Turkey. Tubers of potato cultivars (cvs.) Agria and Bettina were stored under four types of storage conditions (indirect sunlight for 10 h per day and dark storage for the remaining 14 h per day; storage under continuous fluorescent light; storage in constant darkness; storage in the dark in a refrigerator) for 56 days. Samples of tubers were taken at the beginning of the storage period and after 14, 28 and 56 days of storage for tuber glycoalkaloid measurement. Tubers stored in the three light environments showed an increase in glycoalkaloid levels; however, none of the cv. Agria tubers reached the critical level of 200 mg/kg tuber. On day 56 the TGA level of cv. Bettina tubers stored under fluorescent light reached 234.31 mg/kg.     

Tubulin polyglutamylase enzymes are members of the TTL domain protein family

Polyglutamylation of tubulin has been implicated in several functions of microtubules, but the identification of the responsible enzyme(s) has been challenging. We found that the neuronal tubulin polyglutamylase is a protein complex containing a tubulin tyrosine ligase-like (TTLL) protein, TTLL1. TTLL1 is a member of a large family of proteins with a TTL homology domain, whose members could catalyze ligations of diverse amino acids to tubulins or other substrates. In the model protist Tetrahymena thermophila, two conserved types of polyglutamylases were characterized that differ in substrate preference and subcellular localization.