Artificial Mix Research Articles

Utilization of industrial production waste as a component of the artificial soil mix composition

Utilization of industrial production waste as a component of the artificial soil mix composition

Influences of type and concentration of recycled mineral construction, renovation and demolition waste on the linear viscoelastic behavior of bituminous mastics

The objective of this research is to study the impact of the use of construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) fillers on the linear viscoelastic behavior (LVE) of bituminous mastics. Forty-two (42) mastics, composed of a PG 64H-28 bitumen and 4 different contents of various types of filler, were created: concrete (Co), hydrated lime (HL), glass (Gl), porcelain (Po), ceramic (Ce), brick (Br), gypsum (Gy), clay (Cl), limestone (Li), an artificial mix realised in the laboratory (AM) and two samples of CRD waste called natural mix 1 and 2 (NM1 and NM2). The limits of the LVE domain were determined for each mastic and their LVE behaviors were studied on a wide range of frequencies and temperatures using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). The LVE behavior was modelled using an automatized calibration process of the 2S2P1D model. The quality of the calibration was also evaluated. Results reveal the overwhelming importance of a parameter called effective volume of filler (Vfe) which is related to the Rigden Voids value of the filler and its content in the mastic. This sole parameter can predict with great precision the stiffening power of a CRD filler, and also predict partially several constants of the resulting mastic LVE model.

Screening Rafflesia and Sapria Metabolites Using a Bioinformatics Approach to Assess Their Potential as Drugs

The Rafflesiaceae family consists of three genera of parasitic plants – Rafflesia, Rhizanthes, and Sapria – with purported ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal properties. In this study, the inhibitory properties of 21 characterized metabolites associated with Rafflesia and Sapria were tested against eight proteins linked to human diseases – including seven pathogenic-associated HMGCR, VEGFR2, acetylcholinesterase, NMT, H1N1 neuraminidase, GSK3-β, and estrogen receptor α, and one plant-pathogenic associated Colletotrichum chitin deacetylase. Each metabolite was tested using drug-likeness screening, screening metabolite activity, and molecular docking to eight diseases and microbial physiological processes. Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions between metabolite ligands and protein residues were characterized. Molecular dynamics were also assessed to analyze the stability of the protein-ligand interaction. Our results indicate that the gallotannins and flavonol phenolics from Rafflesia and Sapria display high inhibitory potential against disease proteins. All metabolite-protein pairs displayed stable fluctuations. However, some compounds disobeyed LRO5 drug-likeness and displayed moderate bioavailability and synthetic accessibility, so an improved drug delivery method is required. All 21 metabolites are available in other popular edible plants (mainly tea and certain berries) and could be used to create artificially mixed metabolite-based medicine to prevent the exploitation and endangerment of wild Rafflesia and Sapria populations. Our activity likelihood screening and molecular docking data indicate that Rafflesia and Sapria metabolites possess considerable potential as anti-cholesterol, respiratory antiviral, wound-healing, and antifungal properties. To protect Rafflesiaceae plants in the wild, metabolites can be assessed from other plant sources and combined as an artificial herbal mix.

Multi-criteria analysis for Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing of lightweight artificial aggregates from industrial waste by double-step cold bonding palletization

In recent years, the use of recycled materials in the building sector has attracted increasing interest. In this regard, lightweight artificial aggregates are an excellent alternative to natural concretes. This research propose a multicriteria model for the selection of lightweight artificial aggregates through experimental processes. The mechanical, environmental, and economic aspects of the lightweight artificial aggregates were integrated to evaluate the most sustainable, which may be appropriate for applications in the construction sector. Three mixtures were prepared using cement and industrial waste: fly ash from a municipal waste incineration plant, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and marble sludge. The fly ash content is constant (80%). By varying the blast furnace slag (5%, 10%, 15%) and cement content (15%, 10%, 5%), the mechanical, environmental, and economic properties of each lightweight artificial aggregates mix were evaluated. The AHP was implemented to support the identification of preferred scenarios with reference to the three mixtures, on which there may be convergence and compliance in terms of environmental impacts (measured through LCA) and economic (evaluated with the LCC) and technical-functional aspects. The results indicated that lightweight artificial aggregates with fly ash (80%), blast furnace slag (5%) and a higher percentage of cement (15%) represent the optimal solution, which made the sustainable selection of lightweight artificial aggregates possible.

Chemical contamination alters the interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton

Bacteria and phytoplankton are key players in aquatic ecosystem functioning. Their interactions mediate carbon transfer through the trophic web. Chemical contamination can alter the function and diversity of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton, with important consequences for ecosystem functioning. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of chemical contamination on the interactions between both biological compartments. Two contrasting marine coastal ecosystems, offshore waters and lagoon waters, were exposed to chemical contamination (artificial or produced from resuspension of contaminated sediment) in microcosms in four seasons characterized by distinct phytoplankton communities. Offshore waters were characterized by a complex phytoplankton–bacterioplankton network with a predominance of positive interactions between both compartments, especially with Haptophyta, Cryptophyta, and dinoflagellates. In contrast, for lagoon waters, the phytoplankton–bacterioplankton network was simpler with a prevalence of negative interactions with Ochrophyta, Cryptophyta, and flagellates. Contamination with an artificial mix of pesticides and trace metal elements resulted in a decrease in the number of interactions between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton, especially for offshore waters. Resuspension of contaminated sediment also altered the interactions between both compartments. The release of nutrients stored in the sediment allowed the growth of nutrient limited phytoplankton species with marked consequences for the interactions with bacterioplankton, with a predominance of positive interactions, whereas in lagoon waters, negative interactions were mostly observed. Overall, this study showed that chemical contamination and sediment resuspension resulted in significant effects on phytoplankton–bacterioplankton interactions that can alter the functioning of anthropogenic coastal ecosystems.

Artificial Soil Mix Based on Zoo Compost of the Black Soldier Fly

Compositions of artificial soil mix have been developed that, along with sand and clay, contain wet magnetic separation waste, citrogypsum, and zoo compost of black soldier fly larvae. It has been established that the soil mix compositions are not toxic and can be used to grow watercress.

328 Use of artificial lipid mix as a new method to test efficacy of active ingredients directed towards skin protection. Comparison with the reference lipid squalene

328 Use of artificial lipid mix as a new method to test efficacy of active ingredients directed towards skin protection. Comparison with the reference lipid squalene

First Report of Anthracnose Crown Rot of Strawberry Caused by Colletotrichum siamense in Rajshahi District of Bangladesh

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) was introduced to Bangladesh in 1996 and has gained remarkable acceptance. However, with the expansion of acreage, anthracnose crown rot (ACR) is posing a challenge to strawberry growers. In March 2016, typical ACR symptoms were observed on cultivar Strawberry Festival in a farmer’s field in Rajshahi District. Symptoms were evident on approximately 10% of plants and included flagging of young leaves, mimicking lack of water, and wilting of the entire plant in daytime heat. A lengthwise cut through the crown of diseased plants showed characteristic shades of red and white marbling similar to that described by Weir et al. (2012). Crowns of seven symptomatic strawberry plants were obtained after excising foliage and roots and washed under running water for 1 h. Crowns were then surface disinfested with 70% ethanol followed by 1% NaClO for 2 and 3 min, respectively. Small pieces (2 × 2 mm) of the internal infected marbled red tissues were cut with a sterile scalpel, placed on corn meal agar, and incubated for 7 days at 25°C. Conidia grown on tissue pieces and hyphal mats from the tissues were streaked on PDA plates to obtain single conidial colonies. Two of the single-conidial isolates (BRSP08 and BRSP09) that had white margins with circular, dull orange centers were selected to prove Koch’s postulates. The average mycelial growth rate was 9.8 mm/day at 25°C on PDA with cottony aerial growth and pale yellowish to pinkish color. Conidia were hyaline, cylindrical, with round ends, and measuring 14.90 to 18.19 × 4.05 to 6.20 μm (average ± SD, 16.22 ± 1.20 × 5.90 ± 0.84 μm) (n = 30). Appressoria were brown, globose to cylindrical, lobbed, and measuring 7.50 to 12.70 × 6.08 to 8.4 μm (10.72 ± 1.30 × 7.20 ± 0.80 μm) (n = 20). The morphological characteristics of these isolates are consistent with some Colletotrichum species within the C. gloeosporioides complex including C. siamense (Afanador-Kafuri et al. 2003; Weir et al. 2012). BRSP09 was used for molecular identification. Internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrRNA gene (ITS) and genes encoding chitin synthase (CHS-1), actin (ACT), β-tubulin (TUB2), calmodulin (CAL), and the Apn2–Mat1–2 intergenic spacer and partial mating type (Mat1–2) gene (ApMat) of the selected isolate were amplified using primers ITS1F/ITS4, Bt2a/Bt-2b, CHS-79F/CHS-354R, ACT512F/ACT783R, CL1C/CL2C, and AM-F/AM-R, respectively (Silva et al. 2012; Weir et al. 2012). Sequencing of the purified polymerase chain reaction products was performed by Macrogen (Korea), and sequences were deposited in GenBank (LC420017 to LC420022). Neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were inferred using MEGA 6.0 (Tamura et al. 2013) based on the multilocus alignment (ITS, TUB2, ACT, CHS-1, CAL, and ApMat) of the present isolate and related Colletotrichum spp. sequences previously deposited in GenBank. BLAST search and phylogenetic analysis revealed that BRSP09 is C. siamense (Mills et al. 1992). To confirm the pathogenicity of the fungus, ten 3-month-old tissue-cultured Strawberry Festival plants were inoculated by dipping the roots and crowns into either 300 ml of conidial suspension (8 × 10⁶ conidia/ml) of the isolates BRSP08 and BRSP09 or sterile distilled water (control) for 30 min. The inoculated plants were transplanted into plastic pots with artificial peat-based soil mix and maintained in the greenhouse with 28/20°C day/night temperature. The experiment was conducted twice. After 4 weeks, all plants inoculated with BRSP08 or BRSP09 were stunted and developed typical wilt symptoms similar to those observed in the field, whereas the control plants remained healthy. C. siamense was reisolated from crown tissues with typical ACR symptoms and identified using morphological and molecular methods mentioned above, fulfilling Koch’s postulates. This is the first report of ACR of strawberry caused by C. siamense and the members of C. siamense complex in Rajshahi District.

First Report of Fusarium Wilt Caused by Fusarium oxysporum on Strawberry in Bangladesh

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a newly introduced small fruit crop in Bangladesh, which has gained considerable interest from both growers and consumers. Increasing incidence of wilt and crown rot diseases is a challenge for strawberry growers. In March 2016, wilted foliage and dead strawberry plants of cv. Strawberry Festival were found in a strawberry nursery in Rajshahi district of Bangladesh affecting 10% of the plants. Symptoms included wilting of foliage, drying and withering of older leaves, stunted growth, and reduced fruit production, leading to eventual plant collapse. A lengthwise cut through the crown of diseased plants showed distinct brown to reddish discoloration similar to that described by Koike et al. (2009). The crowns were surface sterilized in 2% NaOCl for 1 min followed by 70% ethanol for 5 min. Small pieces (2 × 2 mm) of the internal discolored tissue were placed on half-strength potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and incubated for 7 days at 25°C. Single-spore isolates (BRSP-02 and BRSP-12) were obtained and plated to PDA, cornmeal agar, and V8 juice agar. Isolates had a growth rate 0.8 cm/day on PDA medium and produced sporodochia with septate macroconidia. Colonies also produced single-celled microconidia from unbranched, short, monophialidic conidiophores on PDA consistent with Fusarium oxysporum (Nelson et al. 1983). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS1, 5.8S rRNA, and ITS2), actin (ACT), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) of the isolates were amplified using primers ITS-1/ITS-4, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, and EF1-728F/EF1-986R, respectively (Carbone and Khon 1999; White et al. 1990). ITS sequences of the isolates BRSP-02 and BRSP-12 (GenBank accession nos. LC383470 and LC383471, respectively) showed 99% similarity with the sequence from F. oxysporum strain SHBV2 (KY090783). Sequence identity for EF-1α (GenBank accession nos. LC383472 and LC383473, respectively) was 98 to 99% with the sequence from F. oxysporum isolate BRIP59170 (KX434915). The ACT sequences (GenBank accession nos. LC383784 and LC383785, respectively) showed 97 to 98% similarity with the sequence from F. oxysporum isolate C-11 (KY798318). Based on the aligned sequences of ITS and EF-1α, molecular phylogenetic analysis by the maximum likelihood method and maximum parsimony method, the isolates (BRSP-02 and BRSP-12) were named as F. oxysporum. The isolates are archived in the Department of Biotechnology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University in Bangladesh on dried filter paper at 4°C and are available on request. To confirm the pathogenicity of the fungus, five 3-month-old tissue-cultured ‘Strawberry Festival’ plants were inoculated by dipping the roots into either 400 ml of conidial suspension (with 5 × 10⁶ conidia/ml) of the isolate BRSP-12 or into sterile distilled water (control) for 15 min. The inoculated plants were transplanted into plastic pots with artificial peat-based soil mix and maintained in the greenhouse with a high daytime temperature of 25°C and low nighttime temperature of 20°C. After 3 weeks, all plants inoculated with isolate BRSP-12 were stunted and developed wilt symptoms similar to those observed in the field, whereas the control plants remained healthy. Plants were then dug out, and crowns were cut longitudinally to check for internal discoloration. Light orange discoloration of crown tissues was observed in inoculated plants, but all the control plants remained symptomless. The fungus was successfully reisolated on half-strength PDA medium from 100% of crowns and had morphology as characterized before, fulfilling Koch’s postulates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Fusarium wilt of strawberry in Bangladesh. This disease has been reported from a number of other countries including Argentina, Australia, China, South Korea, Spain, the United States, and Japan (Koike et al. 2009; Williamson et al. 2012).

Theoretical framework of sand pits recultivation in Western Siberia

Mining of non-metallic minerals by an open method inevitably leads to disruption of the ecological state of the territory. After development of quarries, a stage of their reclamation comes, which has to prevent development of erosion processes, to provide restoration of vegetation. The biological stage of reclamation of sand pits is due to the creation of a fertile soil layer and the sowing of perennial grasses. Traditional artificial soil used in the reclamation of quarries is considered peat-sand mixture. However, it initially has adverse physical, mechanical and water-physical properties. Its use leads to a rapid washout of peat and nutrients, which leads to the death of sown perennial grasses. The proposed method for creating an artificial fertile soil mix is based on simulation of the most fertile soils of heavy granulometric composition. The ratio of the component composition of artificial soil mixture was determined by mathematical modeling. The resulting soil mixture had the properties of a humus layer of black soil and was resistant to erosion processes. The ratio between sand, peat and clay was 1:2:7, respectively. To improve the nutritional regime after mixing 100 kg of the mixture, 0.5 kg diammophoska and 0.2 kg of dolomite are added. The created experimental sample of the soil was characterized by a medium loam composition, the optimum acid-alkaline characteristics (pH 6.5) and balanced nutrition for herbaceous plants.

Behavior of high performance artificial lightweight aggregate concrete reinforced with hybrid fibers

In this investigation, sustainable High Performance Lightweight Aggregate Concrete (HPLWAC) containing artificial aggregate as coarse lightweight aggregate (LWA) and reinforced with mono fiber, double and triple hybrid fibers in different types and aspect ratios were produced. High performance artificial lightweight aggregate concrete mix with compressive strength of 47 MPa, oven dry density of 1828 kg/m3 at 28 days was prepared. The Fibers used included, macro hooked steel fiber with aspect ratio of 60 (type S1), macro crimped plastic fiber (P) with aspect ratio of 63, micro steel fiber with aspect ratio of 65 (type S), and micro polypropylene fiber (PP) with aspect ratio of 667. Four HPLWAC mixes were prepared including, one plain concrete mix (without fiber), one mono fiber reinforced concrete mixes (reinforced with plastic fiber with 0.75% volume fraction), one double hybrid fiber reinforced concrete mixes (0.5% plastic fiber + 0.25% steel fiber type S), and a mix with triple hybrid fiber (0.25% steel fiber type S1+ 0.25% polypropylene fiber + 0.25% steel fiber type S). Fresh (workability and fresh density) and hardened concrete properties (oven dry density, compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, static modules of elasticity, thermal conductively, and water absorption) were studied. Generally, mono and hybrid (double and triple) fiber reinforced HPLWAC specimens give a significant increase in splitting tensile strength and flexural strength compared with plain HPLWAC specimens. The percentage increases in splitting tensile strength for specimens with mono plastic fiber are, 20.8%, 31.9%, 36.4% and 41%, while the percentage increases in flexure strength are 19.5%, 37%, 33.9% and 34.2% at 7, 28, 60, 90 days age respectively relative to the plain concrete. The maximum splitting tensile and flexure strengths were recorded for triple hybrid fiber reinforced HPLWAC specimens. The percentage increases in splitting tensile strength for triple hybrid fiber reinforced specimens are 19.5%, 37%, 33.9% and 34.2%, while the percentage increases in flexure strength are 50.5%, 62.4. %, 66.8% and 62.2% at 7, 28, 60 and 90 days age respectively relative to the plain concrete specimens.

Regulation of Glutamine Synthetase (GS) Activity and Root Morphological Plasticity in the Nitrogen Fixing Azolla- Anabaena Symbiont under Nitrogen Limiting Conditions

The present study was conducted to identify the role of the endosymbiont, Anabaena azollae in fixing atmospheric N2 in the Azolla-Anabaena symbiosis. The Azolla-Anabaena azollae (association) grown in nitrogen-free modified Hoagland’s medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) N2 using an artificial gas mix, resulted in the increase in root number and root length. The GS specific activity of the association was 75 ± 6 nmole γ-glutamate mg protein-1 min-1 and the total N content was lesser in cultures grown in 10% (v/v) N2. Similarly, the artificially produced Anabaena free Azolla (endophyte-free), developed increased root length, root number and reduced GS specific activity (30 ± 10 nmole γ-glutamate mg protein-1 min-1), which on supplementation with 2.5 mM NH4NO3 did not show any change in the root length, root number and GS activity. However, the association cultured in 10% (v/v) N2+2.5 mM NH4NO3, reversed the effect of 10% (v/v) N2 treatment exhibited a GS specific activity of 295 ± 120 nmole γ-glutamate mg protein-1 min-1 and the morphological features were similar to the control plants. The western blot analysis of the GS protein from the association showed two isoforms of GS (GS1 and GS2) of equal abundance under all growth conditions, whereas, one diffused band of intermediate size between GS1 and GS2 was observed in the endophyte-free fern.

A multi-attribute decision making approach of mix design based on experimental soil characterization

The clay mineral composition is one of the major factors that governs the physical properties of silty sand subgrade. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of mineral composition is essential to predict the optimum engineering properties of the soil, which is generally characterized by different indices like maximum dry density (MDD), California bearing ratio (CBR), unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and free swelling index (FSI). In this article, a novel multiattribute decision making (MADM) based approach of mix design has been proposed for silty sand–artificial clay mix to improve the characteristic strength of a soil subgrade. Experimental investigation has been carried out in this study to illustrate the proposed approach of selecting appropriate proportion for the soil mix to optimize all the above mentioned engineering properties simultaneously. The results show that a mix proportion containing approximately 90% silty sand plus 10% bentonite soil is the optimal combination in context to the present study. The proposed methodology for optimal decision making to choose appropriate combination of bentonite and silty sand is general in nature and therefore, it can be extended to other problems of selecting mineral compositions.

Spruce budworm feeding and oviposition are stimulated by monoterpenes in white spruce epicuticular waxes.

Monoterpenes, source of the distinctive odor of conifers, are generally considered plant defensive compounds. However, they are also known to act as long-range insect attractants, as they are volatile and permeate forest airspaces. Moreover, they are lipid soluble and can be absorbed into plant epicuticular waxes. We test their role in short-range host plant choice by both adult females and larvae of a folivorous forest pest (Choristoneura fumiferana). We conducted laboratory assays testing the responses of Eastern spruce budworm to an artificial monoterpene mix (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, myrcene) and to white spruce (Picea glauca) epicuticular waxes in closed arenas. Ovipositing females preferred filter paper discs treated with P. glauca waxes to controls, and preferred the waxes + monoterpenes treatment to waxes alone. However, females showed no preference between the monoterpene-treated disc and the control when presented without waxes. Feeding larvae prefered wax discs to control discs. They also consumed discs treated with realistic monoterpene concentrations and wax preferentially over wax-only discs, but showed no preference between extremely high monoterpene concentrations and wax-only controls. In an insect-free assay, P. glauca epicuticular wax decreased monoterpene volatilization. These results suggest that P. glauca waxes and realistic concentrations of monoterpenes are stimulatory to both egg-laying females and feeding larvae, and that their effects are synergistic.

Undrained behavior and post-liquefaction behavior of sand containing fines

The influence of fines on undrained behavior of sand was evaluated through a series of tests conducted in silty sand retrieved from Tokyo Bay Area after the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and an artificial mix of low-plasticity fines with sand. Since the use of density measures as void ratio, relative density or sand skeleton void ratio has led to divergent results, a different approach was taken in this research, by using compaction energy as the parameter of comparison. Stress-strain curves and stress paths for non-plastic and low-plastic fines are given. Excess pore pressure development and liquefaction curves are provided and compared. It can be seen that the addition of fines decreases liquefaction resistance either if they are of non-plastic or low-plastic nature. After conducting cyclic shearing, drainage was opened to measure volumetric deformation and results are also reported. Relevant conclusions regarding the role of fines in liquefaction potential and post-liquefaction behavior are provided

Antileishmanial activity of essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides and its main components against experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice

Chenopodium ambrosioides have been used during centuries by native people to treat parasitic diseases. Aims of the studyTo compare the in vivo anti-leishmanial activity of the essential oil (EO) from C. ambrosioides and its major components (ascaridole, carvacrol and caryophyllene oxide). Materials and methodsAnti-leishmanial effect was evaluated in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis and treated with the EO, main compounds and artificial mix of pure components by intralesional route at 30mg/kg every 4 days during 14 days. Diseases progression and parasite burden in infected tissues were determined. ResultsEO prevented lesion development compared (p<0.05) with untreated animals and treated with vehicle. In addition, the efficacy of EO was also statistically superior (p<0.05) compared with the glucantime-treated animals. No potential effects were observed with pure components treatment. Mix of pure compounds cause death of animals after 3 days of treatment. ConclusionsOur results demonstrate the superiority of EO against experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. amazonensis.

Enterohepatic recirculation of bioactive ginger phytochemicals is associated with enhanced tumor growth-inhibitory activity of ginger extract.

Phytochemical complexity of plant foods confers health-promoting benefits including chemopreventive and anticancer effects. Isolating single constituents from complex foods may render them inactive, emphasizing the importance of preserving the natural composition of whole extracts. Recently, we demonstrated in vitro synergy among the most abundant bioactive constituents of ginger extract (GE), viz., 6-gingerol (6G), 8-gingerol (8G), 10-gingerol (10G) and 6-shogaol (6S). However, no study has yet examined the in vivo collaboration among ginger phytochemicals or evaluated the importance, if any, of the natural 'milieu' preserved in whole extract. Here, we comparatively evaluated in vivo efficacy of GE with an artificial quasi-mixture (Mix) formulated by combining four most active ginger constituents at concentrations equivalent to those present in whole extract. Orally fed GE showed 2.4-fold higher tumor growth-inhibitory efficacy than Mix in human prostate tumor xenografts. Pharmacokinetic evaluations and bioavailability measurements addressed the efficacy differences between GE and Mix. Plasma concentration-time profiles revealed multiple peaking phenomenon for ginger constituents when they were fed as GE as opposed to Mix, indicating enterohepatic recirculation. Bioavailability of 6G, 8G, 10G and 6S was 1.6-, 1.1-, 2.5- and 3.4-fold higher, respectively, when dosed with GE compared with Mix. In addition, gingerol glucuronides were detected in feces upon intravenous administration confirming hepatobiliary elimination. These data ascribe the superior in vivo efficacy of GE to higher area under the concentration time curves, greater residence time and enhanced bioavailability, of ginger phytochemicals, when fed as a natural extract compared with artificial Mix, emphasizing the usefulness of consuming whole foods over single agents.

Odor Is a Time Cue for Circadian Behavior

Many physiological and behavioral processes such as sleep and wakefulness, hormone secretion, and olfactory sensitivity exhibit a 24-h rhythmicity that persists in constant conditions with a period close to (circa) 24 h. These circadian rhythms are driven by a network of endogenous clocks residing in various tissues, including the olfactory system, and are synchronized to the outside world by environmental time cues such as light, temperature, and food. In addition to having these well-known zeitgebers of circadian clocks, most environments consist of a multitude of odors that report, for example, the availability of food or the presence of predators--and often, they do so in a time-of-day-dependent manner. Considering the evolutionary significance of odors for various fitness-related behaviors such as mate choice, predator avoidance, and foraging strategies, we asked whether odors--similar to light, temperature, or food--might act as a circadian time cue able to influence circadian locomotor behavior in mammals. Administering individual air flow, periodically saturated with an artificial odor mix, to running wheel-equipped mouse cages, we found that rhythmic odor administrations significantly lengthened the period of circadian activity rhythms. Additionally, odor cues led to partial reemergence of circadian locomotor rhythmicity in suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN)-lesioned mice, suggesting that the SCN as the central circadian pacemaker are not immediately required for odor-mediated effects on circadian behavior. However, odor-based modulation of circadian behavior did not occur in clock mutant (cry1(-/-) /cry2(-/-)) mice, indicating an odor-mediated mechanism that involves extra-SCN canonical clocks, such as the olfactory clock itself. Our results indicate not only that odor stimuli can act as a circadian time cue modulating circadian behavior but also that odor effects are even more pronounced in the absence of the SCN but nevertheless require the presence of a functional canonical clock.

Rapid transcriptome characterization and parsing of sequences in a non-model host-pathogen interaction; pea-Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

BackgroundWhite mold, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the most important diseases of pea (Pisum sativum L.), however, little is known about the genetics and biochemistry of this interaction. Identification of genes underlying resistance in the host or pathogenicity and virulence factors in the pathogen will increase our knowledge of the pea-S. sclerotiorum interaction and facilitate the introgression of new resistance genes into commercial pea varieties. Although the S. sclerotiorum genome sequence is available, no pea genome is available, due in part to its large genome size (~3500 Mb) and extensive repeated motifs. Here we present an EST data set specific to the interaction between S. sclerotiorum and pea, and a method to distinguish pathogen and host sequences without a species-specific reference genome.Results10,158 contigs were obtained by de novo assembly of 128,720 high-quality reads generated by 454 pyrosequencing of the pea-S. sclerotiorum interactome. A method based on the tBLASTx program was modified to distinguish pea and S. sclerotiorum ESTs. To test this strategy, a mixture of known ESTs (18,490 pea and 17,198 S. sclerotiorum ESTs) from public databases were pooled and parsed; the tBLASTx method successfully separated 90.1% of the artificial EST mix with 99.9% accuracy. The tBLASTx method successfully parsed 89.4% of the 454-derived EST contigs, as validated by PCR, into pea (6,299 contigs) and S. sclerotiorum (2,780 contigs) categories. Two thousand eight hundred and forty pea ESTs and 996 S. sclerotiorum ESTs were predicted to be expressed specifically during the pea-S. sclerotiorum interaction as determined by homology search against 81,449 pea ESTs (from flowers, leaves, cotyledons, epi- and hypocotyl, and etiolated and light treated etiolated seedlings) and 57,751 S. sclerotiorum ESTs (from mycelia at neutral pH, developing apothecia and developing sclerotia). Among those ESTs specifically expressed, 277 (9.8%) pea ESTs were predicted to be involved in plant defense and response to biotic or abiotic stress, and 93 (9.3%) S. sclerotiorum ESTs were predicted to be involved in pathogenicity/virulence. Additionally, 142 S. sclerotiorum ESTs were identified as secretory/signal peptides of which only 21 were previously reported.ConclusionsWe present and characterize an EST resource specific to the pea-S. sclerotiorum interaction. Additionally, the tBLASTx method used to parse S. sclerotiorum and pea ESTs was demonstrated to be a reliable and accurate method to distinguish ESTs without a reference genome.

First Report of Fusarium Wilt of Strawberry Caused by Fusarium oxysporum in South Carolina.

During October 2011, wilted and dead strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Albion) plants from two commercial fields in South Carolina were sent to the Clemson University Plant Problem Clinic in Pendleton, SC. Symptoms consisted of wilting and chlorosis of foliage, scorch and dieback of older leaves, and stunting of plants. Internal vascular and cortical tissues of plant crowns showed a distinct reddish brown discoloration. To isolate the causal agent, necrotic crown tissue selected from two symptomatic plants from one location and four symptomatic plants from the other were placed on acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA) and on quarter strength acidified PDA (QPDA). Colonies with light purple mycelia and beige or orange reverse colony colors developed on APDA after 5 days of incubation at 25°C. Colonies on QPDA were light purple. Morphology, growth, and development of macroconidia and microconida were consistent with descriptions of Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend emend. Snyder & Hansen (3). Genomic DNA from 3 isolates (11-1246A, 11-1247A, and 11-1247B) was extracted and purified according to Chi et al. (1). The internal transcribed spacer region comprising ITS1, ITS2, and 5.8S rRNA was amplified by primers ITS1 and ITS4 (4). The sequence comparison revealed a 100% match with F. oxysporum sequences in GenBank. To confirm the pathogenicity of the fungus, roots of 15 strawberry plants (cv. Albion) were cut and then five plants were soaked for 10 min in either 500 ml of conidial suspension (104 conidia/ml) of one of the two isolates or in sterile distilled water. All were then potted in 15-cm pots with artificial peat-based soil mix and maintained at 25°C in the greenhouse. After 6 weeks, all plants inoculated with isolates 1247A and B were stunted and developed wilt symptoms similar to those observed in the field, while the control plants remained healthy. Support roots on all affected plants were soft and flaccid and new feeder roots had brown lesions. Crowns of three plants inoculated with isolate 1247A and four plants inoculated with 1247B showed vascular discoloration. To reisolate, crowns were plated as above and roots were surface sterilized in 10% bleach for 1 min and rinsed in sterile distilled water prior to plating on QPDA. F. oxysporum was isolated at frequencies of 70 and 100% from crowns and 100% from roots of all inoculated plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of Fusarium wilt caused by F. oxysporum on strawberry plants in South Carolina. The presence of Fusarium wilt in South Carolina should alert growers, county agents, and specialists to properly identify Fusarium wilt symptoms, which may be confused with Anthracnose or Phytophthora crown rot of strawberry. The disease has been reported previously in other countries including the United States (2).