HYDRUS-1D simulation of nitrogen dynamics in rainfed sweet corn production

Nitrogen loss from agricultural fields results in contamination of ground and surface water resources due to leaching and runoff, respectively. Nitrogen transport dynamics vary significantly among agricultural fields of different climates, especially in the tropical climate. This study intended to evaluate the rainfall impact on nitrogen distribution and losses under tropical rain-fed conditions. The study was carried out in a sweet corn field for two growing seasons at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) research field. The HYDRUS-1D numerical model was used to simulate nitrogen transport dynamics in this study. The observed nitrogen concentrations were used for calibration and validation of the model. Total nitrogen input to sweet corn was 120 kg/ha for both seasons. Nitrogen losses through surface runoff and leaching were dominating pathways. Surface runoff accounted for 35.3% and 22.2% of total nitrogen input during the first and second seasons, respectively. The leaching loss at 60 cm depth accounted for 4.0% (first season) and 18.5% (second season). The crop N uptake was 37.5% and 24.9% during the first and second seasons, respectively. Nitrate was the dominant form of N uptake by the crop that accounted for 83.6% (first season) and 78.5% (second season). The HYDRUS-1D simulation results of nitrogen concentrations and fluxes were found in good agreement with observed data. The overall results of simulation justified the HYDRUS-1D for improved fertilizer use in the tropical climate

The molecular phylogenetic signature of Bali cattle revealed by maternal and paternal markers

Bali cattle is a domestic cattle breed that can be found in Malaysia. It is a domestic cattle that was purely derived from a domestication event in Banteng (Bos javanicus) around 3,500 BC in Indonesia. This research was conducted to portray the phylogenetic relationships of the Bali cattle with other cattle species in Malaysia based on maternal and paternal lineage. We analyzed the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gene and SRY of Y chromosome obtained from five species of the Bos genus (B. javanicus, Bos gaurus, Bos indicus, Bos taurus, and Bos grunniens). The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) was used as an outgroup. The phylogenetic relationships were observed by employing several algorithms: Neighbor-Joining (PAUP version 4.0), Maximum parsimony (PAUP version 4.0) and Bayesian inference (MrBayes 3.1). Results from the maternal data showed that the Bali cattle formed a monophyletic clade, and together with the B. gaurus clade formed a wild cattle clade. Results were supported by high bootstrap and posterior probability values together with genetic distance data. For the paternal lineage, the sequence variation is low (with parsimony informative characters: 2/660) resulting an unresolved Neighbor-Joining tree. However, Bali cattle and other domestic cattle appear in two monophyletic clades distinct from yak, gaur and selembu. This study expresses the potential of the COI gene in portraying the phylogenetic relationships between several Bos species which is important for conservation efforts especially in decision making since cattle is highly bred and hybrid breeds are often formed. Genetic conservation for this high quality beef cattle breed is important by maintaining its genetic characters to prevent extinction or even decreased the genetic quality

Structural basis of nucleosome assembly by the Abo1 AAA+ ATPase histone chaperone

The fundamental unit of chromatin, the nucleosome, is an intricate structure that requires histone chaperones for assembly. ATAD2 AAA+???ATPases are a family of histone chaperones that regulate nucleosome density and chromatin dynamics. Here, we demonstrate that the fission yeast ATAD2 homolog, Abo1, deposits histone H3???H4 onto DNA in an ATP-hydrolysis-dependent manner by in vitro reconstitution and single-tethered DNA curtain assays. We present cryo-EM structures of an ATAD2 family ATPase to atomic resolution in three different nucleotide states, revealing unique structural features required for histone loading on DNA, and directly visualize the transitions of Abo1 from an asymmetric spiral (ATP-state) to a symmetric ring (ADP- and apo-states) using high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM). Furthermore, we find that the acidic pore of ATP-Abo1 binds a peptide substrate which is suggestive of a histone tail. Based on these results, we propose a model whereby Abo1 facilitates H3???H4 loading by utilizing ATP

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC): effects on light quality, microclimate, and growth of Orthosiphon stamineus in tropical climatic condition

The main challenge facing greenhouse designers is to achieve environment-appropriate greenhouses, especially in tropical regions. The excess radiant energy transmitted into the greenhouse predisposes plants to photo-inhibition and consequently reduces crop production. Lately, photovoltaic (PV) modules are equipped as a greenhouse rooftop to minimize the level of irradiation and air temperature in the greenhouse, simultaneously improving its energy consumption. Nevertheless, due to the low level of irradiation, denser conventional PV internal shading would influence the cultivated crops’ growth. Thus, Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) possesses several attractive features such as transparent, sensitive to low light levels, and various color options that render DSSC a perfect choice able to serve substantially in energy buildings. This study assessed the microclimate conditions inside the greenhouse with semi-transparent DSSC mounted on top of it, describing the Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) (µmol m−2 s−1), Vapor Pressure Deficit VPD (kPa), relative humidity (%), and also temperature (°C). The Overall Thermal Transfer Value (OTTV), which indicates the average thermal energy transmission rate across the external layer of a structure envelope, is also presented. The effects of colored DSSC in altering the spectral of sunlight in reference to the Orthosiphon stamineus growth responses were determined. The information of the condition of DSSC greenhouse microclimate helps to identify the information for designing PV greenhouses and to produce income from both electric power and agronomic activity

The Elongator Complex Interacts with PCNA and Modulates Transcriptional Silencing and Sensitivity to DNA Damage Agents

Histone chaperones CAF-1 and Asf1 function to deposit newly synthesized histones onto replicating DNA to promote nucleosome formation in a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) dependent process. The DNA replication- or DNA repair-coupled nucleosome assembly pathways are important for maintenance of transcriptional gene silencing and genome stability. However, how these pathways are regulated is not well understood. Here we report an interaction between the Elongator histone acetyltransferase and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Cells lacking Elp3 (K-acetyltransferase Kat9), the catalytic subunit of the six-subunit Elongator complex, partially lose silencing of reporter genes at the chromosome VIIL telomere and at the HMR locus, and are sensitive to the DNA replication inhibitor hydroxyurea (HU) and the damaging agent methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Like deletion of the ELP3, mutation of each of the four other subunits of the Elongator complex as well as mutations in Elp3 that compromise the formation of the Elongator complex also result in loss of silencing and increased HU sensitivity. Moreover, Elp3 is required for S-phase progression in the presence of HU. Epistasis analysis indicates that the elp3Δ mutant, which itself is sensitive to MMS, exacerbates the MMS sensitivity of cells lacking histone chaperones Asf1, CAF-1 and the H3 lysine 56 acetyltransferase Rtt109. The elp3Δ mutant has allele specific genetic interactions with mutations in POL30 that encodes PCNA and PCNA binds to the Elongator complex both in vivo and in vitro. Together, these results uncover a novel role for the intact Elongator complex in transcriptional silencing and maintenance of genome stability, and it does so in a pathway linked to the DNA replication and DNA repair protein PCNA

A review of zoonotic infection risks associated with the wild meat trade in Malaysia.

The overhunting of wildlife for food and commercial gain presents a major threat to biodiversity in tropical forests and poses health risks to humans from contact with wild animals. Using a recent survey of wildlife offered at wild meat markets in Malaysia as a basis, we review the literature to determine the potential zoonotic infection risks from hunting, butchering and consuming the species offered. We also determine which taxa potentially host the highest number of pathogens and discuss the significant disease risks from traded wildlife, considering how cultural practices influence zoonotic transmission. We identify 51 zoonotic pathogens (16 viruses, 19 bacteria and 16 parasites) potentially hosted by wildlife and describe the human health risks. The Suidae and the Cervidae families potentially host the highest number of pathogens. We conclude that there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of zoonotic pathogens and recommend performing microbial food safety risk assessments to assess the hazards of wild meat consumption. Overall, there may be considerable zoonotic risks to people involved in the hunting, butchering or consumption of wild meat in Southeast Asia, and these should be considered in public health strategies

Semantic Analysis in Soccer Videos Using Support Vector Machine

A tremendous increase in the video content uploaded on the internet has made it necessary for auto-recognition of videos in order to analyze, moderate or categorize certain content that can be accessed easily later on. Video analysis requires the study of proficient methodologies at the semantic level in order to address the issues such as occlusions, changes in illumination, noise, etc. This paper is aimed at the analysis of the soccer videos and semantic processing as an application in the video semantic analysis field. This study proposes a framework for automatically generating and annotating the highlights from a soccer video. The proposed framework identifies the interesting clips containing possible scenes of interest, such as goals, penalty kicks, etc. by parsing and processing the audio/video components. The framework analyzes, separates and annotates the individual scenes inside the video clips and saves using kernel support vector machine. The results show that semantic analysis of videos using kernel support vector machines is a reliable method to separate and annotate events of interest in a soccer game