bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The technical aspects of using timber in the construction of forest roads
Authors: Trzciński Grzegorz , Kozakiewicz Paweł , Selwakowski Rafał
Published: November 2017

This study is on the ecological aspects and interest of the State Forest National Forests Holding (SF) units in reinforcing the ground subgrade by using timber raft construction and brushwood mattresses in forest road construction. The aim of the study was to analyse the technical parameters of forest roads made on a ground subgrade reinforced with timber raft construction and brushwood mattresses. As part of the research, the scope of SF units’ application of technological solutions and the parameters of existing forest district roads made on a timber substructure were determined. A road with reference sections using different variants of subgrade reinforced with timbers logs (oak, pine) and brushwood mattresses were studied. The technical parameters of features ensuring usability, such as, among others, the bearing capacity of the pavement, were selected for the analysis. The ability of the tested pavements to support vehicle axle loads was determined based on the deflection of the surface as well as the primary (MEI) and secondary (MEII) deformation modulus with a calculated deformation indicator (I0). The deformation modulus ME of the pavement and road subgrade were determined using a VSS plate with a diameter of 300 mm. It indicated a large range of results of secondary deformation of surfaces using timber raft construction (107-204 MN·m-2) and brushwood mattresses (26-58 MN·m-2), which are dependent mainly on the diameter of the logs used, their arrangement and the road fill used.
Hydrochemical study of Drean–Annaba aquifer system (NE Algeria)
Authors: Sayad Lamine , Djabri Larbi , Bouhsina Saad , Bertrand Catherine , Hani Azzedine , Chaffai Hicham
Published: November 2017

Water quality is subject to frequent changes in the Drean-Annaba alluvium aquifer. Water-rock interaction can not be the only process that produces the observed modification, but dryness that the country knew during the last two decades has highly contributed to the water quality changes. During this period, irregularities in the distribution of rainfalls, in time and space, have been observed. As a result, a periodicity in hydrochemical changes in water of wells and rivers is noticed. Statistical, the principals components analysis (PCA) tools and Tickel diagram have been used to show, through chemical presentation, these effects. The results show, indeed, seasonal changes of water quality for the period 1999-2000. From a cationic point of view, a competition between alkaline and alkaline earths is shown. On the other hand, from an anionic point of view, there is a transition from chlorides to sulphates and may be to bicarbonates. The present work was carried out in a relatively small area and this was useful to show the relationship that existed between dryness and water quality of both the aquifer system and surface water.
Labor and Democracy: The Homo Faber and The Self-Governing Citizen in Ancient Greece
Authors: Wang Donni
Published: November 2017

Is there a way of performing labor and doing work – a central activity that has so far occupied humans – that aligns with or even amplifies the core dynamics of a democratic society? This article answers in the affirmative by introducing a model of labor named homo faber based on a group of highly influential texts from ancient Greece, the birth place of the world’s first democracy. This ancient Greek ideal of homo faber conceives human nature as desirous of imparting meaning through modifying the natural surroundings. A combination of conditions is imperative for materializing this paradigm: full control and mastery over one’s work, absence of compulsion and scarcity, group solidarity and individual pride, and direct and free interaction with the public, among others. The homo faber is essential to the Greek democratic vision because it mirrors aspects of the ideal citizenry that takes matter into its own hands: both roles flourish through egalitarian, horizontal, and mutually satisfying exchange that is free of covetousness and coercion. However, the historical reality of Classical Greece at the height of its civilization in the fifth and fourth centuries is a bitter lesson: the homo faber model began to wither amidst the rise of slavery, rentierism, and imperialism. While these betrayals severely marred the legacy of ancient Greece, the aspirations of homo faber nevertheless help us deliberate what kind of configuration of work and what sort of considerations for workers best serve democratic goals.
The geography of urban agriculture: New trends and challenges
Authors: Duží Barbora , Frantál Bohumil , Simon Rojo Marian
Published: November 2017

In the article, which is a theoretical and conceptual introduction for the Special Issue of Moravian Geographical Reports on ‘New trends and challenges of urban agriculture in the context of Europe’, the authors resume and review diverging issues of urban agriculture, exploring and discussing them from a geographical perspective and in a wider context of the transformation of urban and rural spaces, urban regeneration and renewal, agricultural restructuring, multifunctionality, ecosystem services, land-use conflicts and social responsibility. After the introduction that depicts a changing role of agriculture in the context of urban and rural transformations, the current research on urban agriculture in Europe is summarised and reviewed. Then the main trends and concepts of growing and expanding urban agriculture are presented and discussed with a special emphasis on the challenges these pose to geographers.
Relative dielectric constants and selectivity ratios in open ionic channels
Authors: Eisenberg Bob , Liu Weishi
Published: November 2017

We investigate the effects of the relative dielectric coefficient on ionic flows in open ion channels, using mathematical analysis of reasonably general Poisson-Nernst-Planck type models that can include the finite sizes of ions. The value of the relative dielectric coefficient is of course a crucial parameter for ionic behavior in general. Using the powerful theory of singularly perturbed problems in applied mathematics, we show that some properties of open channels are quite insensitive to variation in the relative dielectric coefficient, thereby explaining such effects seen unexpectedly in simulations. The ratio between the total number of one ion species and that of another ion species, and the ratio between the flux of one ion species and that of another ion species do not depend significantly on the relative dielectric coefficient.
Thrombophilia in Pathological Pregnancies
Authors: Angelovski Jani
Published: November 2017

Introduction. Many situations in pregnancy create a thrombophilia, which is believed to have a protective function, which is the result of the hormone influence, primarily by gestagenic hormones. This is a physiological condition and it helps in successful implantation of the embryo and prevention of bleeding. The presence of additional, hereditary or acquired cause of thrombophilia disrupts the natural balance and creates conditions for venous thromboembolism and consequences for pregnancy, such as miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death, delayed intrauterine growth, eclampsia and abruption of the placenta.

Methods. The study was designed as a retrospective epidemiological cross-sectional study and was conducted at the Institute of Transfusion Medicine in Skopje in the period from June to October 2016. The study included patients with current pathological pregnancies. The following laboratory analyses were conducted in all patients: hemostasis, D-dimer, antithrombin III, protein C, protein S, antiphospholipid antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, MTHFR, factor V Leiden and prothrombin mutation.

Results. The study included 41 patients, of whom 3 were excluded due to an insufficient medical history, 3 who were receiving corticosteroid therapy, 2 due to incomplete laboratory analyses and one patient with proven systemic lupus. Data analysis showed that family history of thrombophilia was present in 25%. The most common MTHFR mutation was recorded in 26 (82%) patients, followed by the factor V mutation present in 18 (55%) of the examined patients.

AT III deficiency was detected in only one patient (2%). In 12 patients (35%) a disturbed ratio of DD vs. markedly shortened APTT or inappropriately low levels of DD was registered, which is an indirect indicatorof hypofibrinolysis.

Conclusion. Pathologic pregnancy is a condition that is often associated with thrombophilia. Advanced age of a patient, family and personal history of thrombotic conditions indicate a high risk of complications in pregnancy. Due to the current increased frequency of high risk pregnancies associated with circulation problems with the placenta, there is a need for more frequent hemostatic examinations in pregnancy.
Legitimate Expectations in the Realm of Law – Mutual Recognition, Justice as a Virtue and the Legitimacy of Expectations
Authors: Arnold Stefan
Published: November 2017

This essay argues that one structural feature of the law is its working as an expectations machinery that generates and protects legitimate expectations at the same time. The vindication of expectations becomes apparent when we focus on the ex post-dimension of legal norms. In their ex post-dimension, legal norms vindicate legitimate expectations, in their ex ante-dimension, they generate them. This paper identifies three categories of expectations: Mere hopes, legitimate expectations and vindicated (legitimate) expectations. In the practice of legal discourse, this categorisation is of crucial importance and decisive for our legal rights. This will be illustrated with examples concerning contract and property. The essay further shows that the classification of expectations faces an uncertainty problem. Building on Brandom, the essay argues that the rationality of the law’s classification of expectations can be ensured through the practice of legal discourse. Brandom’s theory of mutual recognition as a normative social structure must be supplemented by justice as a virtue (JAV), however. It will be argued that JAV strengthens the mutual recognition of the players of the law in their permanent reconstruction of legal content. JAV must be included in legal discourse to ensure the rationality of the law’s quest for the classification of expectations.
Complexity in Egophoric Marking: From Agents to Attitude Holders
Authors: Bergqvist Henrik , Knuchel Dominique
Published: November 2017

The present paper considers attested variation found in egophoric marking systems in order to discuss the role of such variation for the defining features of egophoric marking viz. a speech-act participant's epistemic authority subject to his/her involvement in an event. Austin Hale's (1980) pioneering description of egophoric marking in Kathmandu Newar (called "conjunct/disjunct" by Hale) has largely shaped our conception of what such systems look like, but in recent years, research on comparable systems has revealed that egophoric marking systems vary with respect to every purportedly defining feature of such systems. The one remaining variable that appears constant is the epistemic authority of the speech-act participants. When attempting to analyze and compare egophoric marking, one should consider all relevant cross-linguistic variation in order to determine what features are defeasible, and which ones are not. In this paper we explore the range of participant-roles that can be associated with egophoric marking focusing on "secondary" egophoric markers that map onto undergoers, affected participants, and the attitudes of the speech-act participants. It will become clear that these less prototypical instances of egophoric marking bridge such systems to a seemingly unrelated grammatical constructions, known as "ethical datives".
Valorisation of chitinous biomass for antimicrobial applications
Authors: Jardine Anwar , Sayed Shakeela
Published: November 2017

The chitin and chitosan market worldwide has shown tremendous growth, propelled by the expansion in the application domain. The market volume is projected to be more than 155 thousand metric tons by the year 2022. The global market for chitin and chitosan derivatives is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2021 up from $2.0 billion in 2016 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.4%, from 2016 to 2021. Among chitin derivatives, chitosan is projected to offer the highest growth potential. The demand for a reliable source of high quality chitosan is rapidly increasing as new value added products enter the market. At the same time the growth of value added chitosan based products are limited by the availability of a sustainable supply chain. Antimicrobial properties are of special interest in the packaging, cosmetic, food and biomedical sector. Most of the latter applications warrants high-volume and low cost materials. However, the process chemistry for bulk chitosan manufacturing is currently not very environmentally friendly. Green technologies for chitosan modification have increased in recent years and now face the challenge of economic viability. In this review the status of antimicrobial chitosan derivatives will be reported with a critical review of the chemical technologies that would mitigate the commercialisation of these biopolymers in the antimicrobial biopolymer market sector. The amount of publications per annum has increased exponentially and the lack of global standardised antimicrobial test protocols make it rather challenging to properly evaluate the relative efficacy of these polymers.
The “homemade” HIPEC machine – a cost-effective alternative in low-resource countries
Authors: Bhatt Aditi , Prabhu Robin , Sethna Kayomarz , Tharayil Sajin , Kumar Madhan
Published: November 2017

Background

HIPEC using custom-made machines (CMM) remains unaffordable for many patients in low-income countries. We describe the assembly and use homemade HIPEC machine (HMM) as a cost-effective alternative.

Methods

We evaluated the cost of setting up the HMM, maintenance, expenses per procedure as well as technical aspects including target temperature and flow rate, safety aspects, technical failures and the technical support required. The comparison with CMM was based on the manufacturer information and published reports and not on personal experience.

Results

Form 2011 to 2017, we performed HIPEC (Coliseum technique) in 81 patients using HMM. HMM was a cardiopulmonary bypass machine available in our institution, with an additional water bath. Flow rate was 2 L/min and target temperature between 41 and 43 °C could be achieved in all cases. There were no technical failures and there was no safety issue recorded. Routine maintenance was provided yearly by an in-house technician. Chemotherapy costs (between 20 and 500 USD) were independent from the devices used. Cost of consumables was 450 USD/procedure, as compared to 1800 to 3500 USD/procedure for commercially available products. Investment cost for CMM is between 70,000 and 1,35,000 USD.

Conclusions

The HMM is a cost-effective option allowing access to HIPEC to patients in low-resource countries without loss of efficacy or additional safety concerns. The initial cost and cost per procedure were substantially less for HMM while the maintenance of both systems was similar in terms of complexity and cost. The CMM are more user-friendly and require less technical support.
Environmental microbiology
Authors: Briški Felicita , Vuković Domanovac Marija
Published: November 2017

For most people, microorganisms are out of sight and therefore out of mind but they are large, extremely diverse group of organisms, they are everywhere and are the dominant form of life on planet Earth. Almost every surface is colonized by microorganisms, including our skin; however most of them are harmless to humans. Some microorganisms can live in boiling hot springs, whereas others form microbial communities in frozen sea ice. Among their many roles, microorganisms are necessary for biogeochemical cycling, soil fertility, decomposition of dead plants and animals and biodegradation of many complex organic compounds present in the environment. Environmental microbiology is concerned with the study of microorganisms in the soil, water and air and their application in bioremediation to reduce environmental pollution through the biological degradation of pollutants into non-toxic or less toxic substances. Field of environmental microbiology also covers the topics such as microbially induced biocorrosion, biodeterioration of constructing materials and microbiological quality of outdoor and indoor air.
The Vehicles Traffic Flow Optimization in an Urban Transportation System by Using Simulation Modeling
Authors: Coman Marin-Marian , Badea Dorel
Published: November 2017

The urban transportation system is characterized by the urban roads development and growth of road traffic, which leads, most of the time, to a series of congestions in the vehicles traffic. Consequently, due to a high time duration spent on the road traffic, the travel time from a location to another one could be very upsetting for any car drivers, or embarrassing for emergency services and vehicle convoys that carry goods or sensitive items. Those are mainly reasons for using simulation modeling to analyze and optimize the travel time of the road traffic actors in the an urban transportation system. This paper focuses on optimization vehicles flow in a crowded area of Sibiu city, by using agent-based modeling concept and AnyLogic simulation modeling software.
Impact on radiation dose and volume V57 Gy of the brain on recurrence and survival of patients with glioblastoma multiformae
Authors: Stojkovski Igor , Krstevska Valentina , Smichkoska Snezhana
Published: November 2017

Background

The aim of the study was to analyze impact of irradiated brain volume V57 Gy (volume receiving 57 Gy and more) on time to progression and survival of patients with glioblastoma.

Patients and methods

Dosimetric analysis of treatment plan data has been performed on 70 patients with glioblastoma, treated with postoperative radiochemotherapy with temozolomide, followed by adjuvant temozolomide. Patients were treated with 2 different methods of definition of treatment volumes and prescription of radiation dose. First group of patients has been treated with one treatment volume receiving 60 Gy in 2 Gy daily fraction (31 patients) and second group of the patients has been treated with “cone-down” technique, which consisted of two phases of treatment: the first phase of 46 Gy in 2 Gy fraction followed by “cone-down” boost of 14 Gy in 2 Gy fraction (39 patients). Quantification of V57 Gy and ratio brain volume/V57Gy has been done. Average values of both parameters have been taken as a threshold value and patients have been split into 2 groups for each parameter (values smaller/ lager than threshold value).

Results

Mean value for V57 Gy was 593.39 cm3(range 166.94 to 968.60 cm3), mean value of brain volume has was 1332.86 cm3(range 1047.00 to 1671.90 cm3) and mean value of brain-to-V57Gy ratio was 2.46 (range 1.42 to 7.67). There was no significant difference between two groups for both V57 Gy and ratio between brain volume and V57 Gy.

Conclusions

Irradiated volume with dose 57 Gy or more (V57 Gy) and ration between whole brain volume and 57 Gy had no impact on time to progression and survival of patients with glioblastoma.
Laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing liver resection for colorectal metastases
Authors: Aghayan Davit L. , Pelanis Egidijus , Avdem Fretland Åsmund , Kazaryan Airazat M. , Sahakyan Mushegh A. , Røsok Bård I. , Barkhatov Leonid , Bjørnbeth Bjørn Atle , Jakob Elle Ole , Edwin Bjørn
Published: November 2017

Background

Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) of colorectal liver metastases (CLM) is increasingly performed in specialized centers. While there is a trend towards a parenchyma-sparing strategy in multimodal treatment for CLM, its role is yet unclear. In this study we present short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic parenchyma-sparing liver resection (LPSLR) at a single center.

Patients and methods

LLR were performed in 951 procedures between August 1998 and March 2017 at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Patients who primarily underwent LPSLR for CLM were included in the study. LPSLR was defined as non-anatomic hence the patients who underwent hemihepatectomy and sectionectomy were excluded. Perioperative and oncologic outcomes were analyzed. The Accordion classification was used to grade postoperative complications. The median follow-up was 40 months.

Results

296 patients underwent primary LPSLR for CLM. A single specimen was resected in 204 cases, multiple resections were performed in 92 cases. 5 laparoscopic operations were converted to open. The median operative time was 134 minutes, blood loss was 200 ml and hospital stay was 3 days. There was no 90-day mortality in this study. The postoperative complication rate was 14.5%. 189 patients developed disease recurrence. Recurrence in the liver occurred in 146 patients (49%), of whom 85 patients underwent repeated surgical treatment (liver resection [n = 69], ablation [n = 14] and liver transplantation [n = 2]). Five-year overall survival was 48%, median overall survival was 56 months.

Conclusions

LPSLR of CLM can be performed safely with the good surgical and oncological results. The technique facilitates repeated surgical treatment, which may improve survival for patients with CLM.
Stewing in Its Own Juices? The Permeability of PET by Water and Acetic Acid
Authors: McGath Molly K. , Hall Andrea K.I. , Zaccaron Sara , Wallace Jay , Minter William Dean , McGuiggan Patricia M.
Published: November 2017

Historic documents are frequently protected by placing them in a sealed polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) envelope. Although the paper is mechanically stabilized, the PET film may limit transmission of moisture or acidic degradation by-products of the paper. This creates a microenvironment for the encapsulated document. The permeation of water and acetic acid vapor through the PET film was measured to understand the microenvironment within an encapsulated enclosure. For encapsulation with a 102 μm (4 mil) PET film, the water vapor mass flux through the encapsulated film was measured. The water vapor was found to flow into or out of the PET film depending on the sample and environmental conditions. Because the encapsulated paper needed a longer time to dry than paper in open air, PET encapsulation provides a microenvironment that will buffer the encapsulated object from large swings in humidity. Acetic acid either did not diffuse through the PET, or it diffused at such a slow rate as to not be measured, due to the larger size of the acetic acid molecule than the water molecule. Keeping one edge of an encapsulation open allowed a drying rate that was four times faster than when all four sides were sealed. Because acetic acid vapor does not readily diffuse through the PET, these results reinforce the recommendations for deacidification and/or addition of buffering agents to the paper or enclosure. The results of this study point to a critical need for the investigation of new materials in conjunction with further evaluation of currently used materials.
Moduli of continuity of the local time of a class of sub-fractional Brownian motions
Authors: Ait Ouahra Mohamed , Guerbaz Raby
Published: November 2017

The aim of this paper is to establish sharp estimates for the moduli of continuity of the local time of a class of sub-fractional Brownian motions. We also investigate the continuity of their local times with respect to the self-similarity index.
System Dynamics Modeling of Households' Electricity Consumption and Cost-Income Ratio: a Case Study of Latvia
Authors: Bariss Uldis , Bazbauers Gatis , Blumberga Andra , Blumberga Dagnija
Published: November 2017

Increased energy efficiency of the building sector is high on the list of priorities for energy policy since better energy efficiency would help to reduce impact on climate change and increase security of energy supply. One aim of the present study was to find a relative effect of growth of demand for energy services due to changes in income, energy consumption per unit of demand due to technological development, changes in electricity price and household income on household electricity consumption in Latvia. The method applied included system dynamics modeling and data from a household survey regarding the relationship between electricity saving activities and the electricity cost-income ratio. The results revealed that, in direct contrast to the expected, a potential reduction of the electricity consumption is rather insensitive to electricity price and electricity cost-income ratio, and that the efficiency of technologies could be the main drivers for future electricity savings. The results suggest that support to advancement of technologies and faster replacement of inefficient ones rather than influencing the energy price could be effective energy policy measures. The model, developed in the study could be used in similar assessments in other countries.
Bayesian estimation of differential transcript usage from RNA-seq data
Authors: Papastamoulis Panagiotis , Rattray Magnus
Published: November 2017

Next generation sequencing allows the identification of genes consisting of differentially expressed transcripts, a term which usually refers to changes in the overall expression level. A specific type of differential expression is differential transcript usage (DTU) and targets changes in the relative within gene expression of a transcript. The contribution of this paper is to: (a) extend the use of cjBitSeq to the DTU context, a previously introduced Bayesian model which is originally designed for identifying changes in overall expression levels and (b) propose a Bayesian version of DRIMSeq, a frequentist model for inferring DTU. cjBitSeq is a read based model and performs fully Bayesian inference by MCMC sampling on the space of latent state of each transcript per gene. BayesDRIMSeq is a count based model and estimates the Bayes Factor of a DTU model against a null model using Laplace’s approximation. The proposed models are benchmarked against the existing ones using a recent independent simulation study as well as a real RNA-seq dataset. Our results suggest that the Bayesian methods exhibit similar performance with DRIMSeq in terms of precision/recall but offer better calibration of False Discovery Rate.
The Repertoires of Slovak and Slovenian Theatre Houses and their Productions of the Western European and American Authors (1945 – 1970)
Authors: Andres Rok
Published: November 2017

This article is a comparative review of performances of Western European and American authors in Slovak and Slovenian theatres in the two decades after World War II. First, we present a short historical context, comparing the political systems and cultural policies of both states. We define the importance of the selection of works for the repertoire(s) and then parallel them to the main characteristics, authors, and dramatic texts prevalent in that period. Second, we highlight the particularities of staging of the Western European and American authors in both cultural spaces, evaluate their importance, and explicitly determine the fundamental differences between the two theatre spaces and performing arts in the socialist system in general. Third, we expose the similarities and differences in the quantity and diversity of authors. This is done on the basis of the performances by institutional theatres, recorded in the repertoire databases of the respective countries. Everything deviating from the norm is located in a separate chapter, as a phenomenon, where we are looking for the reasons for (not) performing certain authors or poetics. The article functions as a review of the period, and seeks to shed light on theatre production in the Central European cultural area during the undemocratic socialist regime, regardless of basic differences between the two political systems.
Studies on the Pollination Characteristics and Pollination Level of Chinese fir Seed Orchard
Authors: Zhuowen Z.
Published: November 2017

Data from three seed orchards (Chongyang, Zhangle and Laoshan) and Lintian forest were used to study pollination characteristics, pollination level, pollen and ovule production in Chinese fir. The results show that male and female cones have their own distribution patterns within crowns. Male cones are located in the middle to top and female cones the middle to bottom part of the crown. Because of lower density of trees in seed orchard than that in a stand, female cones are distributed over the entire crown in seed orchard trees. Chinese fir male and female cones appear to be very well adapted for wind as the pollination mechanism. There is no difference in the number of pollen grains produced by one pollen sac among trees in the same clone, but there are differences between clones. There are differences between both clones and years in female cone number, male cone number and their ratio. The pollen accumulation rate during pollination should be 3 to 5 pollen grains/mm2 to ensure fertilization. The Chinese fir seed orchards in this study produced too much pollen and could be improved by stimulation of more female flowers in order to produce more seeds.
Retrospective Evaluation of Parental Selection in Nursery Tests of Juglans regia L. Using a Mixed Model Analysis
Authors: Aletà N. , Ninot A. , Voltas J.
Published: November 2017

Results of early testing in Juglans regia performed over the period 1993-2002 are presented. A total of 37 progenies were evaluated for establishment, growth traits, and phenology at ages one and two during two or more sowing years in the nursery. Independent culling selection was applied on parental trees to the family-mean values using specific truncation points for establishment, diameter and total height. In addition, parental selection was performed on unbiased predictions (BLUPs) of parental breeding values using a multivariate mixed model analysis in order to account for the unbalanced nature of the entire data set. Genetic parameters (heritabilities, correlations) of juvenile traits were also estimated. Except for second year growth traits, the genetic control of most characters was quite high, with heritability estimates ranging from 0.51 (establishment) to 0.93 (flushing date). Growth performance and establishment did not bear a common genetic control according to non-significant genetic correlations, but a higher growth was typical of early flushing families. Changes in parental ranking for growth after comparison of familymean and BLUP-based estimates of parental performance were considerable. This observation, together with the larger proportion of culled progenies in the former method (about 70%), suggests a sizeable loss of genetic gain by using unadjusted parental means. It is concluded that current evaluation and selection schemes using family-mean values should be reconsidered by i) relaxing truncation points for selection on establishment and growth traits and ii) re-evaluating progeny test data using a mixed model framework to unveil valuable material otherwise neglected due to unaccounted environmental influence on family performance.
Sexual Asymmetry based on Flowering Assessment in a Clonal Seed Orchard of Pinus densiflora
Authors: Choi W.Y. , Kang K. S. , Jang K.W. , Han S. U. , Kim C. S.
Published: November 2017

Two equations were formulated in order to estimate the degree of sexual asymmetry for monoecious species. The concepts of the equations were formulated on the basis of the effective population numbers of female and male parents [i.e, As
(v)], and the differences of relative frequency between genders [i.e., As
(x)]. These equations were applied to estimate the degree of sexual asymmetry based on the empirical data of flowering assessment in a clonal seed orchard of Pinus densiflora. The yearly variation in the production of female and male strobili was found. The effective population numbers at gamete levels (vf and vm) and clone level (vb) varied among 8 observation years. Both As
(x) and As
(v) were negatively correlated with effective numbers at gamete and clone levels. Averages of female and male strobilus production and estimates of sexual asymmetry were negatively correlated but the correlation was not significant. The correlations among effective number of clone (vb), arithmetic mean of female and male effective numbers (va) and estimate of sexual asymmetry [As
(x)] were strong and significant. Relatively larger difference between vb and va were found when higher level of sexual asymmetry were observed.
Genetic Gains of Full-Sib Families from Disconnected Diallels in Loblolly Pine
Authors: Jansson G. , Li B.
Published: November 2017

Breeding values for the 2nd-cycle of the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) breeding program were analyzed with the NCSUIndustry Tree Improvement Cooperative database to estimate genetic gains and compare different strategies for full-sib deployment. In the disconnected half-diallel mating design used for loblolly pine, six parents within each diallel were crossed to generate 15 full-sib families for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) estimates. Parents among disconnected diallels were never crossed, and the SCA and full-sib family breeding values cannot be estimated directly. Using the GCA and SCA estimates from 60 diallels in the Atlantic Coastal region of loblolly pine, genetic gains were estimated in this study for full-sib families within the disconnected diallels and then compared with the potential gains that would be expected if we select parents for full-sib families based on GCA values for all parents within a geographic region. As the dominance variance was found to be much less than the additive variance, the SCA contribution to the full-sib genetic gain was relatively small. Higher full-sib genetic gains were obtained by crossing the best GCA parents from different diallels within a geographic region than selecting only those within diallels. The difference increased with increasing number of selected full-sibs. Results from different selection scenarios, with various selection intensities and relatedness managements, suggest that selection based on GCA from all parents within a geographic region would result in a higher genetic gain for full-sib families in loblolly pine. The deployment of full-sib families are very important for achieving higher genetic gains in a loblolly pine breeding program. But they were not due to the SCA contribution, but rather due to high GCA of best parents in creating these full-sib crosses. The strategies for family and clonal deployment are very attractive based on the data from this study.
A Report of Triploid Populus of the Section Aigeiros
Authors: Zhang S. , Qi L. , Chen C. , Li X. , Song W. , Chen R. , Han S.
Published: November 2017

This screening study analyzed ploidy levels by counting the chromosome number of 61 Aigeiros cultivars grown in China. Triploid Aigeiros has been found in four of these cultivars: Populus x euramericana (Dode) Guiner cv. Wuhei-1, P. × Liaohenica, P. Langfangensis-3 Wang (P. deltodide Barry cv. “Shanhaiguan” × P. simonii × P. pyramidalis-12 +Ulmus pumila Linn.), and P. × euramericana (Dode) Guinier. cv. “Zhonglin-46”. The karyotype analysis indicates that triploid Aigeiros might be derived from original allotriploid. Because growth of the triploid trees was faster than their respective diploid hybrids or clones in the plantations where we collected the materials, we expect that they will play a significant role in breeding, reforestation and fiber production in China.
Genetic Structure and Variability of Natural Populations of Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) in Morocco
Authors: Wahid N. , González-Martínez S. C. , Hadrami I. El , Boulli A.
Published: November 2017

The estimation of genetic diversity using molecular markers is a major component of genetic conservation programs. In its range, Maritime pine has been extensively studied using different molecular markers and quantitative traits. However, Moroccan populations have been usually represented only by a few typical locations in the Middle Atlas (e.g., Tamjout). To describe the genetic structure and variability of maritime pine in Morocco, eleven populations of this species comprising all major geographic regions (Rif, Middle Atlas and High Atlas) were studied using allozyme markers. A total of 471 samples were analyzed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of eight enzyme systems encoded by 19 loci. Genetic variation was lower in Morocco than in other ranges of the species. However, genetic diversity was structured and a high differentiation among populations (θ = 10.44%) and a moderate correlation between genetic and geographic distances were found (0.350). Three main groups of populations can be distinguished based on genetic distances: (i) Mediterranean Coastal, (ii) Occidental Rif and Middle Atlas and (iii) High Atlas. The populations from Middle Atlas presented the lowest values of allelic richness and gene diversity whereas the populations from Rif showed a considerable amount of genetic variability. Human impact and isolation are major factors explaining population genetic structure of maritime pine in Morocco. Overexploitation of the forest by intensive cattle grazing and land speculation are suggested to be active mechanisms currently deploying the genetic resources of this species.
Genetic Variability and Early Growth Performance of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. in Provenance cum Progeny Trials in India
Authors: Ginwal H. S. , Kumar Pradip , Sharma V. K. , Mandal A. K. , Harwood C. E.
Published: November 2017

Results of provenance cum progeny trials of Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. laid out in 2002 at three sites viz. FRI Campus (Uttaranchal), Chiryanpur (Uttaranchal) and Midnapore (West Bengal) located in tropical region of India are reported and discussed. Thirteen provenances representing 91 families from Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) viz. Oro bay to Emo, PNG; Sirinumu Sogeri Plat, PNG; Warwick, QLD; Yurammie, SF, NSW; Buckenbowra SF, NSW; Selection flat SF559, NSW; Credition SF, QLD; Cardwell, QLD; Mitchell River MT Molloy, QLD; Mill stream archer creek, QLD; Helenvale, QLD; Walsh River, QLD; Burdekin River, QLD were evaluated from nursery stage to field performance (age 21months). As a local seed source open-pollinated seeds collected from selected interspecific Eucalyptus F1 hybrid trees of FRI-4, FRI-5 and Mysore gum (Eucalyptus teretirornis) were used to serve as check material (control). Significant differences between the provenances and families at age 21 months were observed for height, clean stem length, collar diameter and field survival. Significant provenance x site interaction was observed for height. In general the north Queensland provenances performed better and in particular two provenances viz. Walsh River, QLD and Burdekin River, QLD ranked the best in comparison to others at this age. Results indicate that significant genetic differences exist between the families and provenances of E. tereticornis. The growth traits were inter-correlated with each other. Geographic clinal variation pattern was observed in some of the growth traits viz. height, clean stem height and collar diameter. There were fair differences between phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variability. Heritability (narrow sense) values were fairly good for height and clear stem length in comparison to collar diameter. The relative performance of the provenances was fairly consistent throughout test sites.
Seed Source Variation in Growth Performance and Oil Yield of Jatropha curcas Linn. in Central India
Authors: Ginwal H. S. , Rawat P. S. , Srivastava R. L.
Published: November 2017

Results of a seed source evaluation trial of Jatropha curcas Linn. laid out in 1996 at Jabalpur (M.P), a semi arid region of India are reported and discussed. Seeds collected from ten sources from central India representing the states Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra viz. Gondia, Bichia, Balaghat, Niwas, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Nasik, Chindwara, Kundam and Jabalpur were evaluated for their growth performance from nursery stage (3 months) to field (two years). Variation in seed oil content of different sources were also studied and reported. Significant differences between the seed sources at age 27 months were observed for height, collar diameter, number of branches leaf area and field survival. Seeds collected from different sources also varied significantly in respect of seed and kernel weight and oil content in seed/kernel. The Chhindwara (M.P.) source performed the best and yielded a maximum oil of 39.12% from whole seed and 58.12% from kernel. The oil content ranged from 33.02 to 39.12% in whole seeds and 47.08 to 58.12% in kernel, across the seed sources. The performance of Kundam (M.P.), Jabalpur (M.P.), Bichia (M.P.), Niwas (M.P.) and Nasik (Maharashtra) sources were also found satisfactory for oil yield. Results indicate that genetic differences exist between the seed sources of J. curcas. The growth traits showed significant positive correlation with each other. Fair differences between phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variability were observed. Heritability (broad sense) values were fairly good with regard to leaf area, height and collar diameter in comparison to survival percent. The relative performance of these sources was fairly consistent throughout the observation period.
Intraspecific variation and geographic patterns of Fagus orientalis Lipsky chloroplast DNA
Authors: Shanjani Parvin Salehi , Vettori C. , Giannini R. , Khavari-Nejad R. A.
Published: November 2017

CpDNA variation in Iranian beech, Fagus orientalis Lipsky (Fagaceae) was studied in 14 populations distributed throughout the species range in the Hyrcanain zone. Two cpDNA intergenic regions were analyzed: (i) one in the DT region between trnD (tRNA-Asp) and trnT (tRNA-Thr) genes, and (ii) one in the OA region between the orf184 and petA genes. The restriction fragments of the region DT did not show polymorphism among individuals within any population analyzed. However, among individuals within analyzed populations of Asalem region and Neka-1400 population, polymorphism in the restriction fragments of the OA region were found. A total of 3 different chloroplast (cp) haplotypes were scored. The distribution of the cpDNA haplotypes revealed a geographical structure of the genetic differentiation with Gst = %68.7 and Nst = %70.3. The distribution pattern of F. orientalis cpDNA haplotypes may reflect environmental differences and migration history of beech during historical distribution in Tertiary from Asalem (most polymorphic region) to East of Hyrcanian forests.
Genetic Variation in Growth Traits in a Quercus robur L. Open-Pollinated Progeny Test of the Slavonian Provenance
Authors: Bogdan S. , Katičić-Trupčević I. , Kajba D.
Published: November 2017

The study presents evaluation of an open-pollinated progeny test of 21 selected plus trees from Slavonian pedunculate oak provenance in Croatia (in the central part of Drava river valley). The test was established in 1992 with two-year-old seedlings. Heights were measured at 5 to 13 years and diameters at breast height (DBH) at 10 to 13 years after sowing. Variances caused by the population within provenance effect were not significant during the studied period. In contrast, variance components caused by family effect were statistically significant, and ranged from 11.1 to 18.6% and from 2.2 to 10.6% for height and DBH respectively. Statistically significant variances caused by the family effect indicate that most of genetic variation of productive traits was within the studied populations. The estimated family mean narrow sense heritabilities varied from 0.62 to 0.78 and from 0.28 to 0.65, while individual heritabilities ranged from 0.48 to 0.80 and from 0.09 to 0.46 for height and DBH, respectively. Realised gain from the test and expected genetic gains by two possible methods of selection for the measured traits have been calculated for: i.) realised gain i.e. superiority of selected plus trees progenies over control plants (bulks from unselected trees within the provenance) ii.) individual within provenance mass selection of first generation plus trees at the same ages as those represented in studied trial and iii.) backward selection among first generation plus trees after open-pollinated testing. Estimated genetic gains indicate that the highest gain could be expected by backward selection among first generation plus trees after open-pollinated progeny testing (9.7 to 22.3% and 6.8 to 17.3% over control means). These results indicate that due to significant within population variation and high additive variances, improvement for productive traits in the studied oak populations could be achieved by use of seeds and plants from selected plus trees (especially from already established clonal seed orchard), at least in younger ages.
Fertility Variation, Genetic Relatedness, and Their Impacts on Gene Diversity of Seeds From a Seed Orchard of Pinus thunbergii
Authors: Kang K. S. , Lindgren D. , Mullin T. J.
Published: November 2017

Clonal differences in the number of male and female strobili were determined for five consecutive years in a clonal seed orchard of Pinus thunbergii in Korea. The effects of relatedness and clonal differences in reproductive development on gene diversity of seed (in terms of accumulated relatedness by status number) were estimated. While clonal differences were found, fertility variation was not large through all studied years. The orchard clones were divided into different regions and locations based on the geographical distribution and distance of natural stands that plus trees were selected from. Assuming that there was no relatedness among regions, locations and clones, the status number (Ns) was varied from 47.6 to 55.5 for five successive years. On average (pooling), Ns was 92% of census number (N). Assumed relatedness among regions, locations and/or clones decreased the status number. Effect of parental selection on relatedness and orchard management was also discussed.
Spatial Genetic Structure in Disturbed Populations of Quercus acutissima (Fagaceae)
Authors: Chung Myong Gi , Chung M. G. , Myers E. R. , Chung J. M. , Kim K.-J. , Park C.-W. , Sun B.-Y. , Pak J.-H.
Published: November 2017

Quercus acutissima is a large deciduous tree of hillsides ranging from South Korea to Japan. It occurs in many plant communities, often as a pioneer species in monospecific stands which colonized gaps after gap formation. This study used multilocus allozyme genotypes mapped from two disturbed populations near farm houses in southern Korea to compare our results with previous studies conducted on undisturbed populations of trees in southern Korea. Coancestry measures (fij), RIPLEY’s L-statistics, and WRIGHT’s F-statistics were then calculated to examine the distribution of individuals and spatial genetic structure both within and between populations. RIPLEY’s Lstatistics indicated significant aggregation of individuals at interplant distances. A weak but significant positive fine-scale genetic structure at 10 m distance was detected in the two disturbed populations, which is consistent with the structure found in an inland, disturbed population in southern Korea. Estimates of near-distance fijin the two populations (0.020 and 0.036) were considerably lower than that expected for half-sibs (0.125) under random mating, suggesting secondary seed dispersal and substantial overlap of seed shadows. The levels of genetic diversity within the two disturbed populations of Q. acutissima were found to be comparable to the within-mean for populations of other oak species. Significant deficits of heterozygosity were detected in both populations, probably due to several parent-offspring and sib matings. Finally, a significant but low differentiation between the two disturbed populations of Q. acutissima was found, which is likely to be attributable to long-distance pollen movement by wind, which should enhance homogeneity of allele frequencies between adjacent local oak populations.