Buds, bushfires and resprouting in the eucalypts

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 331 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Burrows

Eucalypts encounter a wide range of severe disturbances such as extensive defoliation by insects, major structural damage from cyclonic winds, as well as foliage and bark loss during drought and fire. Most healthy, mature eucalypts are not killed by these events, but regenerate vegetatively. With increasing intensity of disturbance, resprouting first occurs from the accessory buds in the small-diameter branchlets of the crown, followed by the epicormic buds in the medium- and large-diameter branches and stems, and then from the buds of the lignotuber. All these modes of regeneration are ultimately dependent on preventitious buds and, thus, the present review concentrates on axillary buds, their subsequent development into epicormic or lignotuber buds and their degree of protection from fire. The eucalypts have remarkably abundant, well protected and anatomically distinctive bud-forming structures in their leaf axils, branches, stems and lignotubers. These structures are quite consistent across this large genus, but are generally different from resprouting structures in many other plants. From an anatomical perspective, these structures seem best adapted to regeneration after fire, rather than damage from insects, storms or drought and this also correlates with ecological observations. On a worldwide basis, the eucalypts are some of the most successful post-fire resprouters, especially epicormic resprouting after medium- and high-intensity fires. Given the apparent ecological advantages of epicormic resprouting (the rapid reestablishment of extensive leaf area while simultaneously shading basal resprouters and seedlings) this could be an important factor in the success of eucalypts in Australia. Recent phylogenetic analysis has indicated a long relationship between eucalypts, fire and bud structures that facilitate resprouting.

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 79-82
Author(s):  
V. P. Babaev ◽  
◽  
S. V. Zaitsev ◽  
K. A. Inshakova ◽  
A. N. Shaykin ◽  
...  

A computational and experimental estimation of the magnitude of forces acting in a high-intensity electric field on elements of nanoconstructions with a high surface curvature is made. Depending on the magnitude of the electric potential and vacuum conditions, these forces can vary both in magnitude and direction over a wide range. They can cause structural damage, as well as provoke unwanted electrical discharges. The possibilities of useful application of these effects are analyzed.


1999 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 745 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. B. Lindenmayer ◽  
R. D. Incoll ◽  
R. B. Cunningham ◽  
M. L. Pope ◽  
C. F. Donnelly ◽  
...  

We compare detection rates of different species of mammals by three types of hairtubes in both the mountain ash forests of the central highlands of Victoria and a range of wet forest types at Tumut in southern New South Wales. The types of hairtubes were a small-diameter PVC pipe, a large-diameter PVC pipe and a newly constructed tapered hair funnel. Data were analysed for brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), bush rat (Rattus fuscipes), common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and common and mountain brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula and T. caninus). The most effective hairtube type (i.e. the one yielding the highest number of detections) varied between species: small hairtubes forR. fuscipes, hair funnels for Trichosurus spp., and large hairtubes for V. ursinus and W. bicolor. For A. stuartii, the most effective hairtube type differed between the two study regions (hair funnels in Victoria and small hairtubes at Tumut). Detection by more than one hairtube type at a given plot was uncommon. Our findings have important implications for field surveys and how data gathered from such studies are interpreted. For example, if the aim of field survey is to detect a wide range of species then several types of hairtubes may need to be deployed.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1814
Author(s):  
Geoffrey E. Burrows ◽  
Celia Connor

Small diameter branchlets and smooth barked stems and branches of most woody plants have chloroplasts. While the stems of several eucalypt species have been shown to photosynthesise, the distribution of chloroplasts has not been investigated in detail. The distribution of chloroplasts in branchlets (23 species) and larger diameter stems and branches with smooth bark (14 species) was investigated in a wide range of eucalypts (species of Angophora, Corymbia and Eucalyptus) using fresh hand sections and a combination of bright field and fluorescence microscopy. All species had abundant stem chloroplasts. In both small and large diameter stems, the greatest concentration of chloroplasts was in a narrow band (usually 100–300 μm thick) immediately beneath the epidermis or phellem. Deeper chloroplasts were present but at a lower density due to abundant fibres and sclereids. In general, chloroplasts were found at greater depths in small diameter stems, often being present in the secondary xylem rays and the pith. The cells of the chlorenchyma band were small, rounded and densely packed, and unlike leaf mesophyll. A high density of chloroplasts was found just beneath the phellem of large diameter stems. These trees gave no external indication that green tissues were present just below the phellem. In these species, a thick phellem was not present to protect the inner living bark. Along with the chlorenchyma, the outer bark also had a high density of fibres and sclereids. These sclerenchyma cells probably disrupted a greater abundance and a more organised arrangement of the cells containing chloroplasts. This shows a possible trade-off between photosynthesis and the typical bark functions of protection and mechanical strength.


Author(s):  
Jens Konnerup-Madsen

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example: Konnerup-Madsen, J. (2001). A review of the composition and evolution of hydrocarbon gases during solidification of the Ilímaussaq alkaline complex, South Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 190, 159-166. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v190.5187 _______________ Fluid inclusions in minerals from agpaitic nepheline syenites and hydrothermal veins in the Ilímaussaq complex and in similar agpaitic complexes on the Kola Peninsula, Russia, are dominated by hydrocarbon gases (predominantly methane) and hydrogen. Such volatile compositions differ considerably from those of most other igneous rocks and their formation and entrapment in minerals reflects low oxygen fugacities and a wide range of crystallisation temperatures extending to a low-temperature solidus. Their composition reflects initial low carbon contents and high water contents of the magma resulting in the exsolution of a waterrich CO2–H2O dominated vapour phase. Fractionation of chlorides into the vapour phase results in high salinities and the subsequent development of a heterogeneous vapour phase with a highly saline aqueous-rich fraction and a methane-dominated fraction, with preferential entrapment of the latter, possibly due to different wetting characteristics. The light stable isotope compositions support an abiogenic origin for the hydrocarbons in agpaitic nepheline syenite complexes.


1995 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 1362-1366 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Huwe ◽  
E. H. Peterson

1. We visualized the central axons of 32 vestibular afferents from the posterior canal by extracellular application of horseradish peroxidase, reconstructed them in three dimensions, and quantified their morphology. Here we compare the descending limbs of central axons that differ in parent axon diameter. 2. The brain stem distribution of descending limb terminals (collaterals and associated varicosities) varies systematically with parent axon diameter. Large-diameter afferents concentrate their terminals in rostral regions of the medial/descending nuclei. As axon diameter decreases, there is a significant shift of terminal concentration toward the caudal vestibular complex and adjacent brain stem. 3. Rostral and caudal regions of the medial/descending nuclei have different labyrinthine, cerebellar, intrinsic, commissural, and spinal connections; they are believed to play different roles in head movement control. Our data help clarify the functions of large- and small-diameter afferents by showing that they contribute differentially to rostral and caudal vestibular complex.


2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L. Brockmeier ◽  
Crystal L. Loving ◽  
Tracy L. Nicholson ◽  
Jinhong Wang ◽  
Sarah E. Peters ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Streptococcus suis is a bacterium that is commonly carried in the respiratory tract and that is also one of the most important invasive pathogens of swine, commonly causing meningitis, arthritis, and septicemia. Due to the existence of many serotypes and a wide range of immune evasion capabilities, efficacious vaccines are not readily available. The selection of S. suis protein candidates for inclusion in a vaccine was accomplished by identifying fitness genes through a functional genomics screen and selecting conserved predicted surface-associated proteins. Five candidate proteins were selected for evaluation in a vaccine trial and administered both intranasally and intramuscularly with one of two different adjuvant formulations. Clinical protection was evaluated by subsequent intranasal challenge with virulent S. suis . While subunit vaccination with the S. suis proteins induced IgG antibodies to each individual protein and a cellular immune response to the pool of proteins and provided substantial protection from challenge with virulent S. suis , the immune response elicited and the degree of protection were dependent on the parenteral adjuvant given. Subunit vaccination induced IgG reactive against different S. suis serotypes, indicating a potential for cross protection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 3069
Author(s):  
Yadong Liu ◽  
Junhwan Kim ◽  
David H. Fleisher ◽  
Kwang Soo Kim

Seasonal forecasts of crop yield are important components for agricultural policy decisions and farmer planning. A wide range of input data are often needed to forecast crop yield in a region where sophisticated approaches such as machine learning and process-based models are used. This requires considerable effort for data preparation in addition to identifying data sources. Here, we propose a simpler approach called the Analogy Based Crop-yield (ABC) forecast scheme to make timely and accurate prediction of regional crop yield using a minimum set of inputs. In the ABC method, a growing season from a prior long-term period, e.g., 10 years, is first identified as analogous to the current season by the use of a similarity index based on the time series leaf area index (LAI) patterns. Crop yield in the given growing season is then forecasted using the weighted yield average reported in the analogous seasons for the area of interest. The ABC approach was used to predict corn and soybean yields in the Midwestern U.S. at the county level for the period of 2017–2019. The MOD15A2H, which is a satellite data product for LAI, was used to compile inputs. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of crop yield forecasts was <10% for corn and soybean in each growing season when the time series of LAI from the day of year 89 to 209 was used as inputs to the ABC approach. The prediction error for the ABC approach was comparable to results from a deep neural network model that relied on soil and weather data as well as satellite data in a previous study. These results indicate that the ABC approach allowed for crop yield forecast with a lead-time of at least two months before harvest. In particular, the ABC scheme would be useful for regions where crop yield forecasts are limited by availability of reliable environmental data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Reannon L. Smith ◽  
Tom W. May ◽  
Jatinder Kaur ◽  
Tim I. Sawbridge ◽  
Ross C. Mann ◽  
...  

The Podosphaera tridactyla species complex is highly variable morphologically and causes powdery mildew on a wide range of Prunus species, including stone fruit. A taxonomic revision of the Po. tridactyla species complex in 2020 identified 12 species, seven of which were newly characterised. In order to clarify which species of this complex are present in Australia, next generation sequencing was used to isolate the fungal ITS+28S and host matK chloroplast gene regions from 56 powdery mildew specimens of stone fruit and ornamental Prunus species accessioned as Po. tridactyla or Oidium sp. in Australian reference collections. The specimens were collected in Australia, Switzerland, Italy and Korea and were collected from 1953 to 2018. Host species were confirmed using matK phylogenetic analysis, which identified that four had been misidentified as Prunus but were actually Malusprunifolia. Podosphaera species were identified using ITS+28S phylogenetic analysis, recognising three Podosphaera species on stone fruit and related ornamental Prunus hosts in Australia. These were Po.pannosa, the rose powdery mildew, and two species in the Po. tridactyla species complex: Po. ampla, which was the predominant species, and a previously unidentified species from peach, which we describe here as Po. cunningtonii.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1539
Author(s):  
Paola De Sanctis ◽  
Giuseppe Filardo ◽  
Provvidenza Maria Abruzzo ◽  
Annalisa Astolfi ◽  
Alessandra Bolotta ◽  
...  

In a previous study, the whole transcriptome of the vastus lateralis muscle from sedentary elderly and from age-matched athletes with an exceptional record of high-intensity, life-long exercise training was compared—the two groups representing the two extremes on a physical activity scale. Exercise training enabled the skeletal muscle to counteract age-related sarcopenia by inducing a wide range of adaptations, sustained by the expression of protein-coding genes involved in energy handling, proteostasis, cytoskeletal organization, inflammation control, and cellular senescence. Building on the previous study, we examined here the network of non-coding RNAs participating in the orchestration of gene expression and identified differentially expressed micro- and long-non-coding RNAs and some of their possible targets and roles. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analyses of all non-coding RNAs were able to discriminate between sedentary and trained individuals, regardless of the exercise typology. Validated targets of differentially expressed miRNA were grouped by KEGG analysis, which pointed to functional areas involved in cell cycle, cytoskeletal control, longevity, and many signaling pathways, including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which had been shown to be pivotal in the modulation of the effects of high-intensity, life-long exercise training. The analysis of differentially expressed long-non-coding RNAs identified transcriptional networks, involving lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs, affecting processes in line with the beneficial role of exercise training.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1015
Author(s):  
Antonio Bulum ◽  
Gordana Ivanac ◽  
Eugen Divjak ◽  
Iva Biondić Špoljar ◽  
Martina Džoić Dominković ◽  
...  

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a type of ultrasound elastography with which the elastic properties of breast tissues can be quantitatively assessed. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of different regions of interest (ROI) and lesion size on the performance of SWE in differentiating malignant breast lesions. The study included 150 female patients with histopathologically confirmed malignant breast lesions. Minimal (Emin), mean (Emean), maximal (Emax) elastic modulus and elasticity ratio (e-ratio) values were measured using a circular ROI size of 2, 4 and 6 mm diameters and the lesions were divided into large (diameter ≥ 15 mm) and small (diameter < 15 mm). Highest Emin, Emean and e-ratio values and lowest variability were observed when using the 2 mm ROI. Emax values did not differ between different ROI sizes. Larger lesions had significantly higher Emean and Emax values, but there was no difference in e-ratio values between lesions of different sizes. In conclusion, when measuring the Emin, Emean and e-ratio of malignant breast lesions using SWE the smallest possible ROI size should be used regardless of lesion size. ROI size has no impact on Emax values while lesion size has no impact on e-ratio values.


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