The Faraday effect of natural and artificial ferritins

Measurements of the Faraday rotation at room temperature over the light wavelength range of 300-680?nm for horse spleen ferritin (HSF), magnetoferritin with different loading factors (LFs) and nanoscale magnetite and Fe(2)O(3) suspensions are reported. The Faraday rotation and the magnetization of the materials studied present similar magnetic field dependences and are characteristic of a superparamagnetic system. The dependence of the Faraday rotation on the magnetic field is described, excluding HSF and Fe(2)O(3), by a Langevin function with a log-normal distribution of the particle size allowing the core diameters of the substances studied to be calculated. It was found that the specific Verdet constant depends linearly on the LF. Differences in the Faraday rotation spectra and their magnetic field dependences allow discrimination between magnetoferritin with maghemite and magnetite cores which can be very useful in biomedicine.     

Processing (blanching, boiling, steaming) effects on the content of glucosinolates and antioxidant-related parameters in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. botrytis)

Five different varieties of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. botrytis); two white (cv. ‘Aviso’, ‘Dania’), one purple (cv. ‘Grafitti’), one green (cv. ‘Emeraude’) and one romanesco/green pyramidal (cv. ‘Celio’) cultivar have been studied. All samples were thermally processed and the effects on the levels of glucosinolates (GLS), total phenols (TP), total monomeric anthocyanins (TMA), l-ascorbic acid (l-AA) and antioxidant capacities (FRAP and ORAC) were investigated. Processing methods applied were: blanching (3 min), boiling (10 min) and steaming (10 min). Total GLS were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by processing with the highest losses, 55 and 42% on average, occurring for boiled and blanched samples, respectively. Significant effects were also noted for steaming, but to a lesser extent, i.e. 19% average reduction. Antioxidant-related parameters were similarly affected with average losses of 27, 33, 36 and 46% in boiled cauliflower and 16, 21, 22 and 28% in blanched for TP, FRAP, l-AA and ORAC, respectively. Blanching and boiling reduced TMA in purple cauliflower by 38 and 53%, respectively. Steaming affected the antioxidant-related parameters the least for all cultivars. l-AA was significantly reduced by 14% in all cultivars by steaming. Some differences in behaviour between cultivars were noted, especially between white and coloured cultivars for TP, FRAP and l-AA, but also for some GLS. The main losses were caused by leaching into the processing water.     

Characterization of post-fire surface cover, soils, and burn severity at the Cerro Grande Fire, New Mexico, using hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing

Forest fires leave behind a changed ecosystem with a patchwork of surface cover that includes ash, charred organic matter, soils and soil minerals, and dead, damaged, and living vegetation. The distributions of these materials affect post-fire processes of erosion, nutrient cycling, and vegetation regrowth. We analyzed high spatial resolution (2.4 m pixel size) Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data collected over the Cerro Grande fire, to map post-fire surface cover into 10 classes, including ash, soil minerals, scorched conifer trees, and green vegetation. The Cerro Grande fire occurred near Los Alamos, New Mexico, in May 2000. The AVIRIS data were collected September 3, 2000. The surface cover map revealed complex patterns of ash, iron oxide minerals, and clay minerals in areas of complete combustion. Scorched conifer trees, which retained dry needles heated by the fire but not fully combusted by the flames, were found to cover much of the post-fire landscape. These scorched trees were found in narrow zones at the edges of completely burned areas. A surface cover map was also made using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) data, collected September 5, 2000, and a maximum likelihood, supervised classification. When compared to AVIRIS, the Landsat classification grossly overestimated cover by dry conifer and ash classes and severely underestimated soil and green vegetation cover. In a comparison of AVIRIS surface cover to the Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) map of burn severity, the BAER high burn severity areas did not capture the variable patterns of post-fire surface cover by ash, soil, and scorched conifer trees seen in the AVIRIS map. The BAER map, derived from air photos, also did not capture the distribution of scorched trees that were observed in the AVIRIS map. Similarly, the moderate severity class of Landsat-derived burn severity maps generated from the differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) calculation had low agreement with the AVIRIS classes of scorched conifer trees. Burn severity and surface cover images were found to contain complementary information, with the dNBR map presenting an image of degree of change caused by fire and the AVIRIS-derived map showing specific surface cover resulting from fire.     

Total costs of bicycle injuries in Norway: correcting injury figures and indicating data needs

Bicycle injuries and fatalities are reported by the police to Statistics Norway. Fatality records from the police are then corrected with Vital Statistics records. However, there is no complete hospital recording that could provide more correct data for bicycle injuries. Bicycle injuries are underreported in official data. There is a nearly complete omission of single bicycle accidents. This disguises societal accident costs and curtails the identification of black spots and effective infrastructure improvements.

This paper provides an estimate of total bicycle injuries in Norway and the total costs of these injuries. Application of case study hospital data from Norwegian towns enabled an estimation of the relationship between these data and the official data, including the distribution of injuries by severity. Costs were then assessed by applying official monetary values for given levels of injury severity.

Total annual bicycle injury costs are huge, but these costs must be balanced against the benefits of bicycling, related to health and environment. Accident reporting and data should be enhanced to enable a reduction of bicycle injuries.     

Identification and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Involved in Natural and Lactic Acid Bacterial Fermentations of Pastes of Soybeans and Soybean-Maize Blends Using Culture-Dependent Techniques and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

Pastes of soybeans and soybean-maize blends were fermented with inoculum through back-slopping using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermented cereal gruel, thobwa and without inoculum (naturally). LAB involved in the fermentations were characterized using culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses. Decreases in pH from 6.4 to 3.9–4.2 and from 6.9 to 5.4–5.8 after 72 h were observed in LAB fermented pastes (LFP) and in naturally fermented pastes (NFP), respectively. LAB increased from 5.0 to 8.7–9.6 log₁₀ cfu/g in NFP and from 8.1 to 9.3 log₁₀ cfu/g in LFP. LAB in both fermentations were heterofermentative lactobacilli (82.4%) and homofermentative cocci (17.6%), of which 44.7% and 42.9% were exopolysaccharide producers, respectively. Principal component analysis based on carbohydrate fermentation, CO₂ production and arginine hydrolysis showed four clusters dominated by Lactobacillus fermentum, Weissella confusa, Lactobacillus brevis 1 and Pediococcus pentosaceus, respectively. Sequencing of 16S rDNA gene confirmed Lb. fermentum, W. confusa/W. cibaria, and P. pentosaceus as identities of species in three clusters. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) confirmed these species as the dominant microbiota. DGGE showed higher similarity in microbial profiles of LFP throughout fermentation and low similarity in NFP during early and late stages of fermentation.     

Genome Assembly and Analysis of the Flavonoid and Phenylpropanoid Biosynthetic Pathways in Fingerroot Ginger (Boesenbergia rotunda)

Boesenbergia rotunda (Zingiberaceae), is a high-value culinary and ethno-medicinal plant of Southeast Asia. The rhizomes of this herb have a high flavanone and chalcone content. Here we report the genome analysis of B. rotunda together with a complete genome sequence as a hybrid assembly. B. rotunda has an estimated genome size of 2.4 Gb which is assembled as 27,491 contigs with an N50 size of 12.386 Mb. The highly heterozygous genome encodes 71,072 protein-coding genes and has a 72% repeat content, with class I TEs occupying ~67% of the assembled genome. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of the 18 chromosome pairs at the metaphase showed six sites of 45S rDNA and two sites of 5S rDNA. An SSR analysis identified 238,441 gSSRs and 4604 EST-SSRs with 49 SSR markers common among related species. Genome-wide methylation percentages ranged from 73% CpG, 36% CHG and 34% CHH in the leaf to 53% CpG, 18% CHG and 25% CHH in the embryogenic callus. Panduratin A biosynthetic unigenes were most highly expressed in the watery callus. B rotunda has a relatively large genome with a high heterozygosity and TE content. This assembly and data (PRJNA71294) comprise a source for further research on the functional genomics of B. rotunda, the evolution of the ginger plant family and the potential genetic selection or improvement of gingers.     

Glucosinolates, l-ascorbic acid,total phenols,anthocyanins, antioxidant capacities and colour in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. botrytis); effects of long-term freezer storage

Blanching and one year freezer storage were performed on one purple, two white and two green varieties of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. botrytis) to assess the effects on several health-related phytochemicals. Blanching, prior to freezing, reduced total aliphatic and indole glucosinolates (GLS) by 31% and 37%, respectively. l-ascorbic acid (L-AA), total phenols (TP), anthocyanins, FRAP and ORAC were on average reduced by 19, 15, 38, 16 and 28%, respectively. The colour measured as CIELAB parameters was partly affected by blanching: lightness was significantly reduced in the white cultivars and in a romanesco type cultivar. Chromaticity was reduced in the coloured cultivars with a twice-as-large reduction in the purple cultivars. Hue increased for all samples, except for the purple cultivar where a decrease was found. Long-term freezer storage did not affect total aliphatic and indole GLS in cauliflower in a major way. Freezer storage did result in an average L-AA decrease of 24% for all but the purple cultivar. Some reductions in the TP levels were also found but not to the extent found for L-AA. When an effect was found in the FRAP and ORAC values, the reductions occurred towards the end of the storage period and were 15% and 37%, on average, respectively. Long-term freezer storage did not affect the anthocyanin content and only minor effects were found for the colour parameters.     

The chromosomal organization of simple sequence repeats in wheat and rye genomes

The physical distribution of ten simple-sequence repeated DNA motifs (SSRs) was studied on chromosomes of bread wheat, rye and hexaploid triticale. Oligomers with repeated di-, tri- or tetra-nucleotide motifs were used as probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization to root-tip metaphase and anther pachytene chromosomes. All motifs showed dispersed hybridization signals of varying strengths on all chromosomes. In addition, the motifs (AG)12, (CAT)5, (AAG)5, (GCC)5 and, in particular, (GACA)4 hybridized strongly to pericentromeric and multiple intercalary sites on the B genome chromosomes and on chromosome 4A of wheat, giving diagnostic patterns that resembled N-banding. In rye, all chromosomes showed strong hybridization of (GACA)4 at many intercalary sites that did not correspond to any other known banding pattern, but allowed identification of all R genome chromosome arms. Overall, SSR hybridization signals were found in related chromosome positions independently of the motif used and showed remarkably similar distribution patterns in wheat and rye, indicating the special role of SSRs in chromosome organization as a possible ancient genomic component of the tribe Triticeae (Gramineae).     

Mapping in plants: progress and prospects

Comprehensive genetic maps are now available for all of the world's important crop species. Data show a remarkable conservation of order of markers over family-wide taxonomic groupings and illuminate species relationships and mechanisms of genome evolution. Comparison of genetic and physical maps has revealed differences in genetic distance throughout genomes with implications for genome organization, gene isolation and transformation.