Partial Rejuvenation of the Soil in Intavas Techno Demo Farm, Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines by Volcanic Ash Material

Intavas Techno Demo Farm is situated in high elevation of 1, 220 meters above sea level, with cool temperature and without pronounced dry season. The soil has low pH (5.24, average) and medium total carbon (4.3%) in the surface. Phosphorus retention is relatively high (77.5%, ave.), low cation exchange capacity (12 cmol(+) kg^ ave.) and low base saturation (13%, ave.). Clay content is 45% (ave.) and bulk density of 1.1 Mg m^ in average. Micrograph of the thin section of Bw_1 horizon reveals that void content is very small (6%). Voids are vughy and are not interconnected. In crossed nicol there were no clay illuviation seen. Total element analysis revealed that Intavas soils have about 60% Al_2O_3 but very low in SiO_2, 16.05% only. This indicates an advanced weathering that Si has been leached out and Al precipitated. As to the primary minerals, opaque minerals predominate with the presence of hornblende in heavy minerals. For light minerals, weathered particles predominate with the presence of mica, quartz and volcanic glass. Selective dissolution analysis reveals that Al_o is relatively high as compared to Fe_o and Si_o. However, these elements have the same pattern that irregularly decrease with depth and increase in the buried A horizon. Fe_p is relatively high followed by Al_p that significantly decreases with depth. The data show that amorphous materials are higher in surface and buried A horizons. Electron micrograph of BA shows no defined form that can be considered as amorphous materials. Bw_2 shows angular shapes that correspond to gibbsites and halloysite as indicated by spheroid configurations. X-ray diffraction pattern exhibits small and weak peak at 7 A in BA horizon. This peak corresponds to the presence of halloysite. The sharp and strong peaks at 4.8 A and 4.3 A in BA and Bw_2 horizons correspond to gibbsite. According to the selective dissolution analysis, electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, the dominant clay mineral in BA horizon is gibbsite and followed by amorphous material and small amount of halloysite. On the other hand, gibbsite dominate Bw_2 horizon followed by halloysite. Based on the physical, chemical, mineralogical and thin section analyses, the TDF soil can be classified as fine clayey, acid, isothermic, gibbsittic, Oxic Dystrudepts. It can be considered as soil with partial rejuvenation by volcanic ash material. As compared with soils without rejuvenation, this soil has higher total carbon, phosphorus retention, lower bulk density relatively, high amorphous materials in the surface and halloysite in the subsoils

Fine mapping and DNA fiber FISH analysis locates the tobamovirus resistance gene L3 of Capsicum chinense in a 400-kb region of R-like genes cluster embedded in highly repetitive sequences

The tobamovirus resistance gene L3 of Capsicum chinense was mapped using an intra-specific F2 population (2,016 individuals) of Capsicum annuum cultivars, into one of which had been introduced the C. chinenseL3 gene, and an inter-specific F2 population (3,391 individuals) between C. chinense and Capsicum frutescence. Analysis of a BAC library with an AFLP marker closely linked to L3-resistance revealed the presence of homologs of the tomato disease resistance gene I2. Partial or full-length coding sequences were cloned by degenerate PCR from 35 different pepper I2 homologs and 17 genetic markers were generated in the inter-specific combination. The L3 gene was mapped between I2 homolog marker IH1-04 and BAC-end marker 189D23M, and located within a region encompassing two different BAC contigs consisting of four and one clones, respectively. DNA fiber FISH analysis revealed that these two contigs are separated from each other by about 30 kb. DNA fiber FISH results and Southern blotting of the BAC clones suggested that the L3 locus-containing region is rich in highly repetitive sequences. Southern blot analysis indicated that the two BAC contigs contain more than ten copies of the I2 homologs. In contrast to the inter-specific F2 population, no recombinant progeny were identified to have a crossover point within two BAC contigs consisting of seven and two clones in the intra-specific F2 population. Moreover, distribution of the crossover points differed between the two populations, suggesting linkage disequilibrium in the region containing the L locus

Tumour brain: pre‐treatment cognitive and affective disorders caused by peripheral cancers

People that develop extracranial cancers often display co-morbid neurological disorders, such as anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment, even before commencement of chemotherapy. This suggests bidirectional crosstalk between non-CNS tumours and the brain, which can regulate peripheral tumour growth. However, the reciprocal neurological effects of tumour progression on brain homeostasis are not well understood. Here, we review brain regions involved in regulating peripheral tumour development and how they, in turn, are adversely affected by advancing tumour burden. Tumour-induced activation of the immune system, blood–brain barrier breakdown and chronic neuroinflammation can lead to circadian rhythm dysfunction, sleep disturbances, aberrant glucocorticoid production, decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and dysregulation of neural network activity, resulting in depression and memory impairments. Given that cancer-related cognitive impairment diminishes patient quality of life, reduces adherence to chemotherapy and worsens cancer prognosis, it is essential that more research is focused at understanding how peripheral tumours affect brain homeostasis