Portion Of Stem Research Articles

Potential of mangrove stands carbon deposits in the north part Pannikang islands, Barru Regency, South Sulawesi province

Global warming is one of the world’s issues today. Global warming is a result of the greenhouse effect because it absorbs infrared light reflected by the earth from the sun. CO2 gas contributes the most to the greenhouse effect. The solution to the problem of global warming is the presence of forests. One type of forest ecosystem is the mangrove forest ecosystem. This study aims to determine the carbon storage of mangrove stands found on Pannikiang Island in the northern part of Barru Regency, South Sulawesi Province. Biomass measurement uses the allometric method performed on mangrove stems by measuring stem diameter in a circle-shaped sample plot of 12.62 m. The results showed that there were ten species found in the study locations: Avicennia alba, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Bruguiera sexangula, Ceriops decandra, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora stilosa, Scyphiphora hydrophyllaceae, and Soneratia alba. The total value of the total stem carbon deposits in the mangrove stands on Pannikiang Island in the northern part of Barru Regency reached a total carbon stem portion of 640,512 tons with a maximum range of 859,174 tons and a minimum of 421,871 tons.

Innovative scenarios for modeling intra-city freight delivery

There has been a shift in the focus of freight modeling to the short-haul (or last-mile) due to an increase in online shopping. This study considers innovative freight delivery modes and multi-modal shifts, especially for the last-mile portion of intra-city freight delivery. For this study, GPS data were obtained from a truck fleet from a major parcel delivery company's depot near Columbus, Ohio and used to develop a freight delivery demand estimation model. Freight delivery tours were modeled in TransCAD and used to develop scenarios to incorporate various modal shifts to compare energy usage in kilowatt-hour estimates. Innovative modes of freight delivery were considered for the scenarios and were compared to a class six truck: electric class six trucks, electric delivery vans, parcel delivery lockers, drones, and electric passenger vehicles. Initial findings suggest that electric trucks reduce energy usage when the majority of miles traveled are in the long-haul, or stem portion of the route. Parcel delivery lockers reduced energy usage in suburban areas, especially those with large neighborhoods with cul-de-sacs. The findings from this study were intended to provide decision makers, both in government and industry, with information to consider when determining suitable alternatives for energy-efficient intra-city freight transport.

Characterization of lenticulostriate arteries with high resolution black-blood T1-weighted turbo spin echo with variable flip angles at 3 and 7 Tesla

ObjectivesThe lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) with small diameters of a few hundred microns take origin directly from the high flow middle cerebral artery (MCA), making them especially susceptible to damage (e.g. by hypertension). This study aims to present high resolution (isotropic ∼0.5 mm), black blood MRI for the visualization and characterization of LSAs at both 3 T and 7 T. Materials and methodsT1-weighted 3D turbo spin-echo with variable flip angles (T1w TSE-VFA) sequences were optimized for the visualization of LSAs by performing extended phase graph (EPG) simulations. Twenty healthy volunteers (15 under 35 years old, 5 over 60 years old) were imaged with the T1w TSE-VFA sequences at both 3 T and 7 T. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was quantified, and LSAs were manually segmented using ITK-SNAP. Automated Reeb graph shape analysis was performed to extract features including vessel length and tortuosity. All quantitative metrics were compared between the two field strengths and two age groups using ANOVA. ResultsLSAs can be clearly delineated using optimized 3D T1w TSE-VFA at 3 T and 7 T, and a greater number of LSA branches can be detected compared to those by time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF MRA) at 7 T. The CNR of LSAs was comparable between 7 T and 3 T. T1w TSE-VFA showed significantly higher CNR than TOF MRA at the stem portion of the LSAs branching off the medial middle cerebral artery. The mean vessel length and tortuosity were greater on TOF MRA compared to TSE-VFA. The number of detected LSAs by both TSE-VFA and TOF MRA was significantly reduced in aged subjects, while the mean vessel length measured on 7 T TSE-VFA showed significant difference between the two age groups. ConclusionThe high-resolution black-blood 3D T1w TSE-VFA sequence offers a new method for the visualization and quantification of LSAs at both 3 T and 7 T, which may be applied for a number of pathological conditions related to the damage of LSAs.

Evaluation of epitope specificity in the immune response to PR8 H1N1 influenza virus infection in neonatal and adult African Green monkeys

Abstract Generation of effective antibody responses following virus infection is challenging in neonates as a result of impairments in the innate and adaptive immune systems that characterize early life. This leaves them particularly susceptible to severe disease following virus infection, e.g. influenza A virus. A potential contributor to the efficacy of the immune response generated following infection is the epitope specificity of the elicited antibodies. Previous studies in adult mice have reported a defined and reproducible pattern of immunodominance among antibodies directed to the neutralizing epitopes on the head of the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) molecule. The impact of age on the immunodominance pattern of HA-specific antibodies has not been explored. To address this, epitope recognition was quantified in plasma collected from newborn and adult African Green monkeys on d14 following PR8 influenza virus infection. For these analyses we used HA molecules engineered to singly express each of the neutralizing epitopes identified on the HA head. In addition, we used a construct that restricts recognition to the stem region of PR8 HA. Our analyses revealed a similar pattern of recognition by HA-specific IgG between infants and adults in the 14 day period following infection. In contrast, the HA-specific IgM pools exhibited distinct binding patterns in these two groups. The most striking of these differences was in the production of antibodies capable of recognizing the stem portion of HA. These data suggest antibody immunodominance patterns may be modulated with age and sheds new light on the regulation of potentially broadly protective stem responses to influenza virus.

Occurrence of Anthracnose Disease Caused byColletotrichum siamenseon Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus undatus) in Andaman Islands, India

Occurrence of Anthracnose Disease Caused by<i>Colletotrichum siamense</i>on Dragon Fruit (<i>Hylocereus undatus</i>) in Andaman Islands, India

Anastomosis Groups of Rhizoctonia solani associated with tomato foot rot in Pothohar Region of Pakistan

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn (teleomorph = Thanatephorus cucumeris (Frank) Donk) is one of the important soil-borne fungal pathogen, which infects tomato with typical symptoms of seedling damping-off and foot rot. During surveys (2014 and 2015 crop season) of nine tomato growing areas in Pothohar region of Pakistan, symptoms of foot rot were noted on approximately 33.4% of the plants observed at soil line level of the stem. Lesions on infected plant stems were irregular in shape, water-soaked, brown in colour manifesting sunken appearance. Fungal colonies isolated from stem portions of the diseased plants on malt extract agar medium were light grey to brown in colour with abundant mycelial growth and branched hyphae. A septum was always present in the branch of hyphae near the originating point with a slight constriction at the branch. No conidia or conidiophores were observed. All isolates were multinucleate when subjected to DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) stain. Based on morphological characteristics of fungal hyphae, isolates were identified as R. solani. Restriction analysis of PCR-amplified ribosomal DNA with four discriminant enzymes (MseI, AvaII, HincII, and MunI) and hyphal interactions with known tester strains confirmed these isolates belong to AG-3-PT (64.2%), AG-2-1 (14.2%), AG-2-2 (9.5%), AG-5 (7.1%) and AG-4-HGI (4.7%). AG-3-PT was widely distributed to major tomato growing areas while other groups were confined to distinct locations. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified with the primers ITS1/ITS4 and sequenced which had 99–100% identity with the corresponding gene sequences of respective R. solani AGs. To confirm Koch’s postulates, four week old tomato plants were transplanted into 1.5 L plastic pots containing sterilized potting mixture i.e. sand: clay: farmyard manure, at the rate of 1:1:1. Soil inoculum containing 10 g of barley grains colonized with each isolate of R. solani for 14 days was mixed in the upper 2 cm layer of soil (Taheri and Tarighi, 2012). A set of uninoculated plants was used as a control. Ambient conditions were provided under the greenhouse. 21 days after inoculation, water-soaked greyish to brown lesions similar to the symptoms of the previous infection were observed on stem portions of all inoculated plants while control plants remained symptomless. Fungus re-isolated from infections was confirmed as R. solani by microscopic appearance of the hyphae. Present study is the first report of AG composition of R. solani infecting tomato in Pakistan which will be useful to breeding programs working on varietal evaluation.

Aquaporins Respond to Chilling in the Phloem by Altering Protein and mRNA Expression.

Previous experiments using heat exchangers (liquid cooled blocks) to chill a portion of plant stem have shown a transient stoppage in phloem translocation and an increase in measured phloem pressure. Although a chilled-induced stoppage of phloem transport has been known for over 100 years, the mechanism of this phenomenon is still poorly understood. Recently, work has highlighted that aquaporins occur within the plasma membrane of the sieve tubes along the entire source-to-sink pathway, and that isoforms of these water channel proteins may change dynamically. Aquaporins show regulatory roles in controlling tissue and cellular water status in response to environmental hardships. Thus, we tested if protein localization and mRNA transcript abundance changes occur in response to chilling in balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) using immunohistochemistry and qrtPCR. The results of the immunolocalization experiments show that the labeling intensity of the sieve elements treated for only 2 min of chill time significantly increased for PIP2. After 10 min of chilling, this signal declined significantly to lower than that of the pre-chilled sieve elements. Overall, the abundance of mRNA transcript increased for the tested PIP2s following cold application. We discuss the implication that aquaporins are responsible for the alleviation of sieve tube pressure and the resumption of flow following a cold-induced blockage event.

Fiber fractions, multielemental and isotopic composition of a tropical C4 grass grown under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide.

BackgroundBrazil has the largest commercial herd of ruminants with approximately 211 million head, representing 15% of world’s beef production, in an area of 170 million hectares of grasslands, mostly cultivated with Brachiaria spp. Although nutrient reduction due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has already been verified in important crops, studies evaluating its effects on fiber fractions and elemental composition of this grass genus are still scarce. Therefore, a better understanding of the effects of elevated CO2 on forage quality can elucidate the interaction between forage and livestock production and possible adaptations for a climate change scenario. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of contrasting atmospheric CO2 concentrations on biomass production, morphological characteristics, fiber fractions, and elemental composition of Brachiaria decumbens (cv. Basilisk).MethodsA total of 12 octagonal rings with 10 m diameter were distributed in a seven-ha coffee plantation and inside each of them, two plots of 0.25 m2 were seeded with B. decumbens (cv. Basilisk) in a free air carbon dioxide enrichment facility. Six rings were kept under natural conditions (≈390 μmol mol−1 CO2; Control) and other six under pure CO2 flux to achieve a higher concentration (≈550 μmol mol−1 CO2; Elevated CO2). After 30 months under contrasting atmospheric CO2 concentration, grass samples were collected, and then splitted into two portions: in the first, whole forage was kept intact and in the second portion, the leaf, true stem, inflorescence and senescence fractions were manually separated to determine their proportions (%). All samples were then analyzed to determine the fiber fractions (NDF, hemicellulose, ADF, cellulose, and Lignin), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) contents and N isotopic composition.ResultsElevated atmospheric CO2 concentration did not influence biomass productivity, average height, leaf, stem, senescence and inflorescence proportions, and fiber fractions (p > 0.05). Calcium content of the leaf and senescence portion of B. decumbens were reduced under elevated atmospheric CO2 (p < 0.05). Despite no effect on total C and N (p > 0.05), lower C:N ratio was observed in the whole forage grown under elevated CO2 (p < 0.05). The isotopic composition was also affected by elevated CO2, with higher values of δ15N in the leaf and stem portions of B. decumbens (p < 0.05).DiscussionProductivity and fiber fractions of B. decumbens were not influenced by CO2 enrichment. However, elevated CO2 resulted in decreased forage Ca content which could affect livestock production under a climate change scenario.

Mini cutting technique: an easy and cost-effective way of Tinospora cordifolia multiplication

The experiment was carried out to determine the commercially viable technique for multiplication of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F and Thoms (giloy). In the open field condition using the variable numbers of nodes per cutting were investigated and observed that three and four nodes cuttings were significantly superior in growth and survival parameters but involved more planting/stock materials. Therefore, to reduce the planting stocks, cuttings with one node with and without stem part were evaluated. Single bud cuttings with both side wood (stem part) showed significantly higher growth and survival percent in comparison to only bud without stem portion and bud with one side stem wood. Among all the tested technique, four buds’ technique was nearly found superior in growth parameters but not significant with three buds, which was proven for higher survival percent. However, single bud cutting technique involved minimum cost and economically proven superior for one-ha plantation as compare to available traditional techniques. The present study indicated that for T. cordifolia, mini cuttings (bud with both side stem wood) techniques is the best propagation method for commercial multiplication.

Production of sugarcane seedlings pre-sprouted in commercial and alternative substrates with by-products of the sugarcane industry

The sugarcane agro-industry is a major producer of organic waste, which could be used as substrates for production of pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings aiming at reducing production costs and the sustainability of the sugar and alcohol industry. This study aimed to identify the best position of origin of the bud chip (little portion of stem with one bud) for the production of pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS) of sugarcane and the effects of commercial and alternative substrates containing by-products of the sugarcane industry on the production of sugarcane PSS. For this, a 4x2 factorial experiment was performed with four substrates: two commercial (TRIMIX® and BIOPLANT®) and two substrates formulated from sugarcane bagasse and filter cake (SABAFI and SUSBAFI) combined with bud chip from the basal and apical regions. The chemical and physical-hydric properties of the substrates and the development of PSS were evaluated. The substrates evaluated provided contrasting environments for root growth in relation to the physical-hydric and chemical properties. The use of by-products from the sugarcane industry can be added to the formulation of substrates for the production of pre-sprouted sugarcane seedlings, although the commercial substrate TRIMIX® provides superior performance to the seedlings, regardless of the origin position of the bud chip.

The catalytic, stem, and transmembrane portions of matriptase-2 are required for suppressing the expression of the iron-regulatory hormone hepcidin

Matriptase-2 (MT2) is a type-II transmembrane, trypsin-like serine protease that is predominantly expressed in the liver. It is a key suppressor for the expression of hepatic hepcidin, an iron-regulatory hormone that is induced via the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway. A current model predicts that MT2 suppresses hepcidin expression by cleaving multiple components of the induction pathway. MT2 is synthesized as a zymogen that undergoes autocleavage for activation and shedding. However, the biologically active form of MT2 and, importantly, the contributions of different MT2 domains to its function are largely unknown. Here we examined the activities of truncated MT2 that were generated by site-directed mutagenesis or Gibson assembly master mix, and found that the stem region of MT2 determines the specificity and efficacy for substrate cleavage. The transmembrane domain allowed MT2 activation after reaching the plasma membrane, and the cytoplasmic domain facilitated these processes. Further in vivo rescue studies indicated that the entire extracellular and transmembrane domains of MT2 are required to correct the low-hemoglobin, low-serum iron, and high-hepcidin status in MT2-/- mice. Unlike in cell lines, no autocleavage of MT2 was detected in vivo in the liver, implying that MT2 may also function independently of its proteolytic activity. In conjunction with our previous studies implicating the cytoplasmic domain as an intracellular iron sensor, these observations reveal the importance of each MT2 domain for MT2-mediated substrate cleavage and for its biological function.

ABOUT REMOVAL OF WATER CLUSTERS BY PUMPING LIQUID FLOW

Background In the process of oil and oil products pumping in the cavity of pipelines, water accumulates gradually. Itsr presence is negatively affected by the operation of oil pipelines and oil products pipelines: the power consumption for pumping increases, internal corrosion processes occur, an error is introduced in the product accoumting during the inventory, etc. The use of cleaning pistons for the removal of water clusters is associated with a number of labor-intensive operations to stock pistons, extract them, wash them and deliver them to the starting point of the route. Therefore, it is very attractive to use for this purpose the kinetic energy of the flow of oil (oil product) itself. Aims and Objectives Analysis of published works on the determination of conditions for the removal of water clusters by the pumped product stream. Results It is shown that to date the proposed technique for calculating the flow of water clusters removal mode by using the kinetic energy does not take into account such things as the wave formation at the water surface, crushing the clusters, their stem portions (slug), and sometimes contradictory. The requirements for conducting experimental research in this area are formulated.

Application of β-sheet proteins as a compatibilizer in injection molding of kenaf core/polypropylene composites

ABSTRACTInjection-molding was performed using ethylene–propylene copolymer as the matrix by varying the physicochemical treatment of the reinforcement, i.e., core portion of kenaf stem that was dry-distilled and coated with or without β-sheet protein derivatives. Although dry distillation reduced the moisture content, the Charpy impact strength of the molded composites was low. When molding was performed using the fillers coated with β-sheet protein derivatives, especially coated with liquid silk (LS), a satisfactory Charpy impact strength of the molded composites was markedly gained. Thus, the β-sheet protein derivatives had potential to work as a compatibilizer. Coating the fillers with β-sheet proteins was also effective in suppressing the generation of silver streaks on the surface of composites and in preventing the occurrence of defective injection molding.

Plant or animal, terrestrial or marine? Thoughts on specimen curation in university palaeontological teaching collections based on an example from Ohio, USA

Palaeontological teaching collections at universities are critical to accurately con- veying aspects of palaeobiology and palaeoecology to students who, in turn, may eventually disseminate that information to the general public via a variety of museum-related pathways. Unfortunately, curatorial rigor is often less strongly rein- forced in university teaching collections than in museum collections, leading to unlabeled or mislabeled specimens, or specimens grouped into collections with an excessive amount of missing data. Herein I describe one illustrative example of confounding specimen labeling from the palaeontological teaching collections of the University of Akron Department of Geosciences (Akron, Ohio, USA). The studied specimen represents a portion of the distinctive stem of the common Upper Carboniferous sphenopsid plant Calamites, but is labeled as the stem of a crinoid (Phylum Echinodermata). Thus, a land plant has been attributed to a portion of a marine invertebrate, a misidentification that transcends not only biological king- doms but also the continental-marine discrepancy. Aside from major morphological differences between these two organisms, the specimen is preserved in a way that is nearly impossible for crinoid columns but is relatively common for Calamites. This find illustrates a major potential source of confusion or misinformation among palaeontology students (and future museum workers) and highlights the significance of scrutiny in teaching collections in addition to museum collections. Individuals working with teaching collections inherited from a predecessor or consisting of organisms with which they are relatively unfamiliar are encouraged to contact a specialist for consultation, identification and correction.

Abstract: A Clinical Trial for Three-Dimensional Vascular Mapping of Anterolateral Thigh Flap Distally-Branching Perforator Vessels Based on Photoacoustic Tomography: The Protocol and Preliminary Results

BACKGROUND: Thin free flaps are challenging procedures. In particular, the failure of thin anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps is reported to be associated with the distal branching pattern of the perforator vessels. In a previous study, we demonstrated the feasibility of using photoacoustic tomography (PAT) to identify ALT perforators and their branching patterns in the subcutaneous layer, especially those in oblique or horizontal orientations.1 In this paper, we present the protocol and preliminary results of a clinical trial for three-dimensional vascular mapping of the distal ALT perforators using PAT imaging. METHODS: Patients for whom reconstructive surgery using an ALT flap was planned were recruited. Four days before the operation, the bilateral anterolateral aspects of the mid-thigh were examined by PAT. The perforator orientation, as determined by ultrasound, was marked with red ink. The body surface was marked every 4 cm with purple ink. The acquired data were processed three-dimensionally using a laboratory-made imaging software program. The depth of the visualized perforator vessels and the distal networks were distinguished based on the color gradation. The body surface markings were preserved until the operation day using a film sheet. Two days before the operation, the three-dimensional vascular data were converted into a two-dimensional vascular map using a projective image reconstruction technique. A semi-automated normal vector detection method and curvature approximation were applied to maintain accuracy. The depth was indicated by color gradation on a sterilized transparent sheet. The mapping sheet was attached to the patient’s thigh before the operation. The skin incision was performed with cutting the transparent mapping sheet. The stem portion of the perforator vessels was evaluated at the level of fascia lata. RESULTS: The first clinical trial involved a 32-year-old male patient with a malignant chest-wall tumor. Each PAT scan took approximately 5 minutes per thigh. The perforator vessels were visualized at the expected points by ultrasonography. A two-dimensional vascular mapping sheet was prepared by drawing the courses of the subcutaneous micro-vessels using projection mapping. Our computing technique projected the trajectories of the vessels in the subcutaneous layer onto a two-dimensional transparent sheet and showed the depth by color gradation. The stem portion of the perforator vessels, as estimated by PAT, was correlated with the operative findings at the points that penetrated the fascia. CONCLUSION: The first clinical trial protocol revealed the efficacy of PAT in creating a three-dimensional vascular map of the anterolateral thigh in the clinical setting.

Source-sink optimization and morpho-physiological response of soybean [Glycine max] to detopping and mepiquat chloride application

Effect of detopping and mepiquat chloride on morphological, physiological and yield attributes of soybean cultivar ‘SL 544’ was studied. A two year investigation was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, during kharif seasons of 2014 and 2015. The experiment was laid-out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with eight treatments viz. control, detopping (removal of 4-5 cm apical portion of main stem) at 50-55 days after sowing (DAS), mepiquat chloride @ 200 ppm (50-55 DAS), mepiquat chloride @ 200 ppm (50-55 + 65-70 DAS), mepiquat chloride 250 ppm (50-55 DAS), mepiquat chloride @ 250 ppm (50-55 + 65-70 DAS), mepiquat chloride @ 300 ppm (50-55 DAS) and mepiquat chloride @ 300 ppm (50-55 + 65-70 DAS) with four replications. Detopping had a non-significant effect on leaf area index, SPAD value, PAR interception, abscission of reproductive parts, seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, pod length and stover yield of soybean. It significantly decreased plant height, increased total dry matter accumulation/plant, number of flowers and pods/plant, pod setting percentage and seed yield over control during 2014 and 2015. At crop harvest, detopping developed optimized source-sink relationship by means of distribution of total dry matter between stem, foliage and pods by 20.4, 14.9 and 64.6 % during 2014 while 22.6, 20.1 and 57.4 % during 2015, respectively. Mepiquat chloride posed a non-significant effect on plant height, PAR interception, number of flowers/plant, number of seeds/pod, pod length and stover yield of soybean but it significantly decreased leaf area index, abscission of reproductive parts while increased the dry matter accumulation/plant, number of pods/plant, 100-seed weight and seed yield relative to control. At harvest, two foliar applications of mepiquat chloride @ 250 ppm resulted in optimized source-sink relationship by the distribution of total dry matter among stem, foliage and pods by 20.6, 10.9 and 68.5 % during 2014 while 19.5, 7.6 and 72.9 % during 2015, respectively. Occurrence of more rainfall during 2015 as compared to 2014 caused mepiquat chloride to hike seed yield as compared to detopping which is clearly witnessed by increase in pod dry weight per plant during 2015 than 2014. Conclusively, both detopping and mepiquat chloride resulted in enhancement in source-sink relationship and seed yield of soybean.

Developing local volume tables for three important tree species in Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu districts

The local volume tables of specific species are very important to estimate the timber volume of standing trees but precise site-specific volume tables are lacking for three important tree species, namely Dalbergia sissoo, Shorea robusta and Terminalia alata. Therefore, this study was carried out to develop local volume tables and determine the form factors of these species using destructive and non-destructive methods. Kapilvastu and Nawalparasi districts were selected for this study. Altogether, 188 vigorous trees were selected for measurement, out of which 156 (52 trees for each species) were from destructive sampling and 32 were standing trees. The data of destructive sampling trees of three species were used in developing the models for under bark timber volume up to 10 and 20 cm top diameters. Thirty two data (12 for S. robusta, 10 for T. alata and for D. sissoo each) of standing trees were used to validate the models of three species. A number of cross sections were made and actual volumes of stem, butt log, other sections and top portion were calculated using cylindrical, Newton’s, Smalian’s and cone formulae, respectively. The cylindrical volume was estimated based on diameter at breast height. The form factor was determined from the ratio of actual and cylindrical volumes. The diameter and height relationship was made and, based on this; the smooth curve was drawn to develop the local volume tables. The results showed that estimated form factor of 10 cm and 20 cm top diameter of selected species varied from 0.50 to 0.69. In addition, local volume tables are developed for stem volume based on diameter under bark. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page: 84-91

Using A “Superrooting”Cultivar of Taxus Chinensis Var. Mairei to Unravel Antioxidative Enzymes’ and Micrornas’ Role on Adventitious Rooting

Rooting of cuttings is very important for production of economically important plants. We produced thousands of plantlets in Taxus chinensisvar. mairei using the technology of rooting of cuttings and identified two types of rooted cuttings, one with low rate of root formation and another with high rate of root formation. To determine the physiological role of antioxidative enzymes and microRNAs during the process of rooting, we measured the levels of these antioxidative enzymes and microRNAs in the stem portion, needles, roots, and basal portion of cuttings. Compared to the cuttings with low rate of root formation, cuttings with high rate of root formation had higher expression of polyphenoloxidase (PPO), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APOX), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the adventitious roots and basal portion of the rooted cuttings 77 days after planting. In the basal portion of cuttings, the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total phenols were decreased and the content of antioxidants was increased, but they did not changed in the needles of cuttings during planting. Analysis of microRNAs by quantitative realtime PCR demonstrated that expression of miR162, miR408, and miR857 increases in the basal portion of cuttings, but not in the stem portion of cuttings, 77 days after planting. Expression of miR408 and miR857 were also increased in the needles of cuttings 77 days after planting. Changes of these antioxidative enzymes and microRNAs associated with the rooting features of T. chinensisvar. maireicuttings and their functions have been discussed.

A Method to Facilitate Improved Positioning of a Reverse Prosthesis Stem During Arthroplasty Surgery: The Metaphyseal-centering Technique.

Because humeral head offset values vary widely from patient to patient, the final position of the proximal portion of a stemmed humeral prosthesis will sometimes not align well with respect to the center of rotation of the humeral head. This is especially notable when a humeral component with limited modularity is used. To address this problem, a prosthesis-specific method is presented for orienting a reverse shoulder humeral component (AltiVate Reverse, DJO Surgical, Austin, TX). With the metaphyseal-centering technique, priority is given to the positioning of the shell portion of the prosthesis over that of the stemmed portion during bone preparation. To ensure that a centralized shell position is achieved within the proximal humerus bone in patients with extreme posterior and medial offset measurement values, the stem portion of the humeral prosthesis is sometimes purposely undersized and positioned eccentrically within the humeral diaphysis. Bone autograft is used in such cases to improve the fit and fixation of the stem within the humeral canal. The metaphyseal-centering technique facilitates: (1) consistent positioning of the shell portion of the humeral prosthesis relative to the center of rotation of the humeral head, and (2) conversion from a standard to a reverse prosthesis, or vice versa, during revision surgery without the need for stem removal or alteration of the humerus bone. Preliminary outcomes of this surgical technique are encouraging, but formal studies are warranted to validate its clinical utility and longevity of results.

First Report of Phytophthora capsici Infection on Bell Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) from Punjab, Pakistan

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the extensively cultivated vegetable crop in Punjab, Pakistan. During two years of field surveys, February-November 2016-17, damping off and blight symptoms were observed. Average seedling mortality was recorded as 18.7% while yield loss due to blight was estimated 32 to 41% at mature stages. Maximum blight infection was recorded from the areas frequently flooded with canal irrigation system. At early stages, lesions were noticed on stem portions at soil line level while at crop maturity stages blight symptoms were noted. Leaves were blanched and wilted while fruits were covered with white mold. Masses of sporangia were evident on and inside the infected fruits under humid conditions. A total of twelve isolates were recovered from infected root, stem and fruit portions on rye agar media (Caten and Jinks, 1968) incubated at 25oC under fluorescent light. Papillated sporangia were averaged 42 ± 2.6 X 27 ± 1.7 μm in size (range 27 - 52 × 23 - 36 μm). Oospores were produced on 20% V8 agar and were spherical 22 ± 1.4 μm in diameter (range 14 to 27 μm) while average pedicels length was recorded as 58 ± 12.5 μm (range 13 to 120 μm). These observations were similar to those described for P. capsici (Cocoa, 1988). DNA was extracted using Cetyl Trimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB) method and the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (White et al., 1990). The amplicons were purified and sequenced in both directions (GenBank Accession No. MF322868 and MF322869). BLAST analysis revealed these isolates showed 99% identity with ITS sequences of Phytophthora capsici (KM369964 and KU518782). Pathogenicity assay was performed on healthy bell pepper seedlings with five repeats. Soil was flooded with 20ml sporangial suspension (1 x 103 sporangia/ml) in pots containing seedlings while 5ml suspension was sprayed until run off on mature plants (Hyder et al., 2018). A set of uninoculated seedlings was used as control. Pots were kept in dew chamber for 10-20 days at 25±2 oC. Seedling mortality was observed five days after inoculation while at later stage plants develop brown-to-black stem lesions with white mycelial growth on leaves. These symptoms were identical to the P. capsici infections in field. Consistent re-isolations of P. capsici confirm its association with the disease. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Phytophthora blight on bell pepper from Pakistan