Highly variable AFLP and S-SAP markers for the identification of ‘Malbec’ and ‘Syrah’ clones

The retrotransposon-based sequence-specific amplification polymorphism (S-SAP) and the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker systems were used to assess the clonal variation of 14 ‘Syrah’ and 22 ‘Malbec’ (Vitis vinifera L.) clones. The utility of S-SAP markers was compared to that of AFLP markers. On the basis of our results, S-SAP is more informative marker system and showed higher average number of polymorphic bands per cultivar group than AFLP. Relationships among clones were analyzed by cluster analysis using unweighted pair-groups using arithmetic averages and in both cases revealed well defined groups of clones, in which ‘Malbec’ clones were separated from ‘Syrah’ clones. High variability of some clones could also be seen within these clusters. The different levels of polymorphism for ‘Malbec’ and ‘Syrah’ obtained in this study suggest that ‘Malbec’ exhibits a higher mutation frequency than ‘Syrah’. Our results indicate that higher proportion of polymorphic bands in S-SAP makes it a less labour-intensive and more efficient approach for developing markers for clonal identification.

Highly variable AFLP and S-SAP markers for the identification of "Malbec" and "Syrah" clones

The retrotransposon-based sequence-specific amplification polymorphism (S-SAP) and the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker systems were used to assess the clonal variation of 14 ‘Syrah’ and 22 ‘Malbec’ (Vitis vinifera L.) clones. The utility of S-SAP markers was compared to that of AFLP markers. On the basis of our results, S-SAP is more informative marker system and showed higher average number of polymorphic bands per cultivar group than AFLP. Relationships among clones were analyzed by cluster analysis using unweighted pair-groups using arithmetic averages and in both cases revealed well defined groups of clones, in which ‘Malbec’ clones were separated from ‘Syrah’ clones. High variability of some clones could also be seen within these clusters. The different levels of polymorphism for ‘Malbec’ and ‘Syrah’ obtained in this study suggest that ‘Malbec’ exhibits a higher mutation frequency than ‘Syrah’. Our results indicate that higher proportion of polymorphic bands in S-SAP makes it a less labour-intensive and more efficient approach for developing markers for clonal identification.Fil: Stajner, N.. University of Ljubljana; EsloveniaFil: Jakse, J.. University of Ljubljana; EsloveniaFil: Javornik, B.. University of Ljubljana; EsloveniaFil: Masuelli, Ricardo Williams. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Mendoza-san Juan. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria la Consulta. Agencia de Extensión Rural la Consulta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Liliana Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza; Argentin

Validation of the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder Temperature and Geopotential Height Measurements

Global satellite observations of temperature and geopotential height (GPH) from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on the EOS Aura spacecraft are discussed. The precision, resolution, and accuracy of the data produced by the MLS version 2.2 processing algorithms are quantified, and recommendations for data screening are made. Temperature precision is 1 K or better from 316 hPa to 3.16 hPa, degrading to ∼3 K at 0.001 hPa. The vertical resolution is 3 km at 31.6 hPa, degrading to 6 km at 316 hPa and to ∼13 km at 0.001 hPa. Comparisons with analyses (Goddard Earth Observing System version 5.0.1 (GEOS-5), European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Met Office (MetO)) and other observations (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP), Atmospheric Infrared Sounder/Advanced Microwave Sounder Unit (AIRS/AMSU), Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Radiometry (SABER), Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE), radiosondes) indicate that MLS temperature has persistent, pressure-dependent biases which are between −2.5 K and +1 K between 316 hPa and 10 hPa. The 100-hPa MLS v2.2 GPH surface has a bias of ∼150 m relative to the GEOS-5 values. These biases are compared to modeled systematic uncertainties. GPH biases relative to correlative measurements generally increase with height owing to an overall cold bias in MLS temperature relative to correlative temperature measurements in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere

Cytisus scoparius link - A natural antioxidant

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations have shown that the antioxidant properties of plants could be correlated with oxidative stress defense and different human diseases. In this respect flavonoids and other polyphenolic compounds have gained the greatest attention. The plant Cytisus scoparius contains the main constituent of flavone and flavonals. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activities of extract of aerial part of Cytisus scoparius. METHODS: The plant extract was tested for DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl, 2-picryl hydrazyl) radical scavenging, nitric oxide radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, antilipid peroxidation assay, reducing power and total phenol content. RESULTS: The extract exhibited scavenging potential with IC(50 )value of 1.5 μg/ml, 116.0 μg/ml and 4.7 μg/ml for DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide anion radicals. The values were found to lesser than those of vitamin C, rutin, and curcumin, as standards. The extract showed 50% protection at the dose of 104.0 μg/ml in lipid peroxidation induced by Fe(2+)/ ascorbate system in rat liver microsomal preparation. There is decrease in hydroxyl radical generation with IC(50 )value of 27.0 μg/ml when compared with standard vitamin E. The reducing power of the extract depends on the amount of extract. A significant amount of polyphenols could be detected by the equivalent to 0.0589 μg of pyrocatechol from 1 mg of extract. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in the present study indicate that hydro alcoholic extract of aerial part of Cytisus scoparius is a potential source of natural antioxidants

An ensemble data assimilation system to estimate CO2 surface fluxes from atmospheric trace gas observations

We present a data assimilation system to estimate surface fluxes of CO2 and other trace gases from observations of their atmospheric abundances. The system is based on ensemble data assimilation methods under development for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and is the first of its kind to be used for CO2 flux estimation. The system was developed to overcome computational limitations encountered when a large number of observations are used to estimate a large number of unknown surface fluxes. The ensemble data assimilation approach is attractive because it returns an approximation of the covariance, does not need an adjoint model or other linearization of the observation operator, and offers the possibility to optimize fluxes of chemically active trace gases (e.g., CH4, CO) in the same framework. We assess the performance of this new system in a pseudodata experiment that resembles the real problem we will apply this system to. The sensitivity of the method to the choice of several parameters such as the assimilation window size and the number of ensemble members is investigated. We conclude that the system is able to provide satisfactory flux estimates for the relatively large scales resolved by our current observing network and that the loss of information in the approximated covariances is an acceptable price to pay for the efficient computation of a large number of surface fluxes. The full potential of this data assimilation system will be used for near–real time operational estimates of North American CO2 fluxes. This will take advantage of the large amounts of atmospheric data that will be collected by NOAA-CMDL in conjunction with the implementation of the North American Carbon Program (NACP)