Diversity of endophytic yeasts from sweet orange and their localization by scanning electron microscopy

Endophytes are microorganisms that colonize plant tissues internally without causing harm to the host. Despite the increasing number of studies on sweet orange pathogens and endophytes, yeast has not been described as a sweet orange endophyte. In the present study, endophytic yeasts were isolated from sweet orange plants and identified by sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rRNA. Plants sampled from four different sites in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil exhibited different levels of CVC (citrus variegated chlorosis) development. Three citrus endophytic yeasts (CEYs), chosen as representative examples of the isolates observed, were identified as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Pichia guilliermondii and Cryptococcus flavescens. These strains were inoculated into axenic Citrus sinensis seedlings. After 45 days, endophytes were reisolated in populations ranging from 10(6) to 10(9) CFU/g of plant tissue, but, in spite of the high concentrations of yeast cells, no disease symptoms were observed. Colonized plant material was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and yeast cells were found mainly in the stomata and xylem of plants, reinforcing their endophytic nature. P. guilliermondii was isolated primarily from plants colonized by the causal agent of CVC, Xylella fastidiosa. The supernatant from a culture of P. guilliermondii increased the in vitro growth of X. fastidiosa, suggesting that the yeast could assist in the establishment of this pathogen in its host plant and, therefore, contribute to the development of disease symptoms.

Horticultural performance of `Folha Murcha` sweet orange onto twelve rootstocks

Despite its outstanding position, the Brazilian citriculture is established on a very limited pool of varieties that limits its expansion and restricts the fruit availability throughout the year. This situation determines the urgent necessity of developing alternative scion and rootstock cultivars, with good performance under local conditions. `Folha Murcha` sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) is a late-harvest cultivar, suitable both for the juice processing industry and the fresh fruit market, being described as tolerant to citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri Schaad et al.), and less affected by citrus variegated chlorosis (Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al.). A study was conducted in Bebedouro, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, to evaluate the horticultural performance of `Folha Murcha` sweet orange budded onto 12 rootstocks: the citrandarin `Changsha` mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) x Poncirus trifoliata `English Small`: the hybrid `Rangpur` lime (Citrus limonia Osbeck) x `Swingle` citrumelo (P. trifoliata (L.) Raf x Citrus paradisi Macfad.); the trifoliates (P. trifoliata (L.) Raf.)`Rubidoux`, `FCAV`, and `Flying Dragon` (P. trifoliata var. monstrosa); the `Sun Chu Sha Kat` mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco); the `Sunki` mandarin (Citrus sunki (Hayata) Hart. ex. Tanaka); the `Rangpur` limes (C. limonia Osbeck) `Cravo Limeira` and `Cravo FCAV`; `Carrizo` citrange (C. sinensis x P. trifoliata), `Swingle` citrumelo (P. trifoliata x C. paradisi), and `Orlando` tangelo (C. paradisi x Citrus tangerina cv. `Dancy`). The experimental grove was planted in 2001, using a 7 m x 4 m spacing, in a randomized block design, with five replications and two plants per plot. No supplementary irrigation was applied. Fruit yield, canopy volume, tree tolerance to drought and to citrus variegated chlorosis, and fruit quality were assessed for each rootstock. Trees grafted onto the `Flying Dragon` trifoliate were smaller in size, but had largest yield efficiency when compared to those grafted onto other rootstocks. Lower alternate bearing index was observed on trees budded onto `Cravo FCAV` `Rangpur` lime. Both `Rangpur` lime rootstocks and the `Sunki` mandarin induced higher tree tolerance to drought. The `Flying Dragon` trifoliate induced better fruit quality and higher tolerance to citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) to `Folha Murcha` trees. A cluster multivariate analysis identified three groups of rootstocks with similar effects on `Folha Murcha` tree performance. Among the 12 evaluated rootstocks, the `Flying Dragon` trifoliate has a unique effect on plant growth, tolerance to drought and CVC, fruit yield and fruit quality of `Folha Murcha` trees, and may be better suited for high-density plantings. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chlorination treatment of aqueous samples reduces, but does not eliminate, the mutagenic effect of the azo dyes Disperse Red 1, Disperse Red 13 and Disperse Orange 1

The treatment of textile effluents by the conventional method based on activated sludge followed by a chlorination step is not usually an effective method to remove azo dyes, and can generate products more mutagenic than the untreated dyes. The present work evaluated the efficiency of conventional chlorination to remove the genotoxicity/mutagenicity of the azo dyes Disperse Red 1, Disperse Orange 1, and Disperse Red 13 from aqueous solutions. The comet and micronucleus assays with HepG2 cells and the Salmonella mutagenicity assay were used. The degradation of the dye molecules after the same treatment was also evaluated, using ultraviolet and visible absorption spectrum measurements (UV-vis), high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD), and total organic carbon removal (TOC) analysis. The comet assay showed that the three dyes studied induced damage in the DNA of the HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. After chlorination, these dyes remained genotoxic, although with a lower damage index (DI). The micronucleus test showed that the mutagenic activity of the dyes investigated was completely removed by chlorination, under the conditions tested. The Salmonella assay showed that chlorination reduced the mutagenicity of all three dyes in strain YG1041, but increased the mutagenicity of Disperse Red 1 and Disperse Orange 1 in strain TA98. With respect to chemical analysis, all the solutions showed rapid discoloration and a reduction in the absorbance bands characteristic of the chromophore group of each dye. However, the TOC was not completely removed, showing that chlorination of these dyes is not efficient in mineralizing them. It was concluded that conventional chlorination should be used with caution for the treatment of aqueous samples contaminated with azo dyes. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent dioxin contamination from Agent Orange in residents of a southern Vietnam city

Marked elevation of dioxin associated with the herbicide Agent Orange was recently found in 19 of 20 blood samples from persons living in Bien Hoa, a large city in southern Vietnam. This city is located near an air base that was used for Agent Orange spray missions between 1962 and 1970. A spill of Agent Orange occurred at this air base more than 30 years before blood samples were collected in 1999. Samples were collected, frozen, and sent to a World Health Organization-certified dioxin laboratory fm congener-specific analysis as part of a Vietnam Red Cross project. Previous analyses of more than 2200 pooled blood samples collected in the 1990s identified Bien Hoa as one of several southern Vietnam areas with persons having elevated blood dioxin levels from exposure to Agent Orange. In sharp contrast to this study, our previous research showed decreasing tissue dioxin levels over time since 1970. Only the dioxin that contaminated Agent Orange, 2,3, 7, 8-tetrachlmodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), was elevated in the blood of 19 of 20 persons sampled from Bien Hoa. A comparison pooled sample from 100 residents of Hanoi, where Agent Orange was not used, measured blood TCDD levels of 2 parts per trillion (ppt). TCDD levels of up to 271 ppt, a 135-fold increase, were found in Bien Hoa residents. TCDD contamination was also found in some nearby soil and sediment samples. Persons new to this region and children born after Agent Orange spraying ended also had elevated TCDD levels. This TCDD uptake was recent and occurred decades after spraying ended. We hypothesize that a major route of current and past exposures is from the movement of dioxin from soil into river sediment, then into fish, and from fish consumption into people.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles: royal mediation and press mediatization

Bearing in mind the relationship between discourse and society at large, this article addresses the way the British monarchy represented Charles’s second marriage and the way the media constructed their accounts in the period from 10 February (announcement) until 9 April 2005 (wedding) in relation to wider issues such as power relations, newspaper economic structures and popular culture. Particular attention is paid to the multifunctional features of discourse (i.e. its ideational, interpersonal and textual functions), which requires a contextualized reading of a dual process of mediation: on the one hand, the staging of the ceremony by St. James’s Palace and its strategy for attaining monologic closure and, on the other hand, discursive representations by the British press open to a polyphony of voices and discursive frames

Crystallization and crystallographic analysis of the apo form of the orange protein (ORP) from desulfovibrio gigas

Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications Volume 65, Part 8

Welfare analysis of regulating mobile termination rates in the UK with an application to the Orange/T-Mobile merger

We present a calibrated model of the UK mobile telephony market with four mobile networks; calls to and from the fixed network; network-based price discrimination; and call externalities. Our results show that reducing mobile termination rates broadly in line with the recent European Commission Recommendation to either pure long-run incremental cost ; reciprocal termination charges with fixed networks; or Bill & Keep (i.e. zero termination rates), increases social welfare, consumer surplus and networks profits. Depending on the strength of call externalities, social welfare may increase by as much as £ 990 million to £ 4.5 billion per year, with Bill & Keep leading to the highest increase in welfare. We also apply the model to estimate the welfare effects of the 2010 merger between Orange and T-Mobile under different scenarios concerning MTRs, and predict that consumer surplus decreases strongly.

Mites (Arachnida, Acari) on Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck orange trees in the state of Amazonas, Northern Brazil

Despite the importance of citriculture in Brazil, very little is known about mite populations in citrus crops in the Northern Region. In the municipality of Manaus, 12 sprayed sweet orange orchards were surveyed every two weeks during seven months to record mite species amount, and to describe the abundance and distribution of the most important species. The size and age of the orchards varied from 3,360 to 88,080 m² and seven to 25 years, respectively. In the fourteen sampling period, leaves, twigs and fruits were collected from 12 trees, one per orchard. In total, 3,360 leaves, 672 twigs and 1,344 fruits were sampled from 168 trees. Mites were manually extracted from the fruits, and by the washing method on leaves and twigs. We identified pests with the potential to cause economic loss. Fourteen species of phytophagous and mycophagous mites from Eriophyidae, Tarsonemidae, Tenuipalpidae, and Tetranychidae were recorded. Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes 1939) and Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashm., 1879), the two commonest phytophagous mites in other Brazilian regions were dominant, showing that local orchards are susceptible to their infestation. Eleven predatory mites were recorded, comprising 10% of the mite population, belonging to Phytoseiidae and Ascidae. Phytoseiidae was the richest family, with ten species. The results are discussed in relation to the temporal variation aspects and habitat use of the most important species. Long-term research encompassing chemical applications followed by evaluations of the mite community are necessary for a better management of the orchards, taking into consideration the seasonal phenology of key pests.

Diagnosis of malaria by acridine orange fluorescent microscopy in an endemic area of Venezuela

Fluorescent (acridine orange) microscopical examination of capillary centrifuged blood (quantitative buffy coat [QBC®] analysis) and Giemsa stained thick blood smears (GTS) were compared for diagnosis of malaria in blood specimens from adults living in malaria transmission areas of the States of Bolivar and Amazonas in southeastern and south Venezuela, respectively. Of a total of 198 GTS examined, 95 subjects (48%) showed parasitaemia. Among the 95 blood films with a positive GTS, 94 were judged positive by the QBC. However, positive QBC tubes were found in 29 out of 103 blood specimens with a negative GTS. Thus, relative to a GTS standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the QBC-test was 99.2% and 72%, respectively. Young trophozoites of Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum could not be distinguished with certainty. It is confirmed that the QBC offers many advantages compared with the standard diagnosis of malaria parasites, specifically in the speed of staining and ease of interpretation. However, in places where P. falciparum and P. vivax occur, species and stage differentiation should be confirmed with the GTS.

[Archives de la Parole]. , [A country girl discards a prince lover] : [chant populaire en sindhī] / [Sir George Grierson], éd. ; Linguistic survey of India ; [Gianchand Santumal], voix

[Traditions. Asie. Inde. Province de Bombay. Région du Haut-Sindh]