bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting Activity of Juvenile Phase-Specific Translocatable Substances that Influence Rooting Potential Using In Vitro Rooting Assays and Expression of a Specific Gene
Authors: Hackett Wesley , Raviv Michael , Das Anath , Reuveni Oded , Gutman Arie
Published: January 2022

The objectives of the project for which substantial effort was put forth were to: 1) Verify the relationship between expression of a cDNA clone (HW103) and the rooting potential of reciprocally grafted cuttings of juvenile and mature lamina and petioles of Hedera helix L. 2) Detect rooting promoter fractions in exudates from the juvenile leaves of H. Helix by assaying for rooting with leaf petioles of juvenile and mature plants. 3) Isolate, purify and identify compounds which show activity in assays for rooting potential. Some objectives or aspects of the objectives of the original proposal were not pursued for the reasons put forth in the body of the report. The most significant findings of the project are: 1) The MS medium is a better medium than Romberg medium for performing the leaf petiole rooting assay. 2) HW103 gene expression is cell-type specific with higher levels of expression in mature than juvenile phase H. Helix petioles as evidenced by in situ hybridization which suggests a negative relationship between HW103 expression in specific cells involved in root initiation and the lack of rooting potential in mature petioles 3) HW103 gene expression may be lower in mature petioles which had been grafter to a juvenile H. Helix lamina than mature petioles that had been grafted to a mature lamina and this putative lower expression is related to formation of a higher number of roots. 4) HW103 gene expression is not related to auxin induced ethylene production. 5) Two distinct compounds that possess root initiation promoting activity can be detected mainly in diffusate of juvenile H. Helix leaves using mung bean hypocotyls and H. Helix leaf petioles in vitro. 6) H. Helix diffusate active fractions do not insistenlty promote rooting in avocado mini-cuttings. 7) Chemical identification of the active rooting compounds was not accomplished because of the death of Prof. Becker, one of the collaborators, and the resultant loss of his data. These results indicate that these may be a molecular basis for reduced rooting potential in mature H. Helix petioles and that there are diffusible (translocatable) compounds in juvenile H. Helix leaves which promote rooting in juvenile and mature H. Helix petioles and mung bean hypocotyls.
Biological Detoxification of the Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON) to Improve Safety of Animal Feed and Food
Authors: Zhou Ting , Shapira Roni , Pauls Peter , Paster Nachman , Pines Mark
Published: January 2022

The trichothecene deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin), one of the most common mycotoxin contaminants of grains, is produced by members of the Fusarium genus. DON poses a health risk to consumers and impairs livestock performance because it causes feed refusal, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hemolytic effects and cellular injury. The occurrence of trichothecenes contamination is global and they are very resistant to physical or chemical detoxification techniques. Trichothecenes are absorbed in the small intestine into the blood stream. The overall objective of this project was to develop a protecting system using probiotic bacteria that will express trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase (Tri101) that convert T-2 to a less toxic intermediate to reduce ingested levels in-situ. The major obstacle that we had faced during the project is the absence of stable and efficient expression vectors in probiotics. Most of the project period was invested to screen and isolate strong promoter to express high amounts of the detoxify enzyme on one hand and to stabilize the expression vector on the other hand. In order to estimate the detoxification capacity of the isolated promoters we had developed two very sensitive bioassays.The first system was based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP). Human liver cells proliferation was used as the second bioassay system.Using both systems we were able to prove actual detoxification on living cells by probiotic bacteria expressing Tri101. The first step was the isolation of already discovered strong promoters from lactic acid bacteria, cloning them downstream the Tri101 gene and transformed vectors to E. coli, a lactic acid bacteria strain Lactococcuslactis MG1363, and a probiotic strain of Lactobacillus casei. All plasmid constructs transformed to L. casei were unstable. The promoter designated lacA found to be the most efficient in reducing T-2 from the growth media of E. coli and L. lactis. A prompter library was generated from L. casei in order to isolate authentic probiotic promoters. Seven promoters were isolated, cloned downstream Tri101, transformed to bacteria and their detoxification capability was compared. One of those prompters, designated P201 showed a relatively high efficiency in detoxification. Sequence analysis of the promoter region of P201 and another promoter, P41, revealed the consensus region recognized by the sigma factor. We further attempted to isolate an inducible, strong promoter by comparing the protein profiles of L. casei grown in the presence of 0.3% bile salt (mimicking intestine conditions). Six spots that were consistently overexpressed in the presence of bile salts were isolated and identified. Their promoter reigns are now under investigation and characterization.
Mechanisms activated by fungal-based host pH modulators during quiescent infections and active postharvest disease development
Authors: Prusky Dov B. , Mengiste Tesfaye , Fluhr Robert
Published: January 2022

This project aims were to provide new insights on the mechanisms activated during alkalinization and acidification of the infection court by Colletotrichum and Botrytis spp. respectively that will lead to quiescent infection-development on tomato fruits. We have chosen these pathogens due to their contrasting life style of alkalinization and acidification, respectively. We will study the roles of these fungal-based host-pH modulators in modulating host gene expression during quiescent infection development and compare these roles with those governing active colonization as a basis for developing novel strategies for control of postharvest diseases. The aims will be pursued through: Characterization of the effects of pH modulation on fungal-plant cell-cell signaling and on the fungal and plant transcriptome during the initial stages of fungal quiescence. The unpublished material that is presented as short abstract is considered one of the key point modulating Characterization of expression profiles of tomato fruits affected by acidifying and alkalinizing pathogensduring the transformation of quiescent to active infections by Colletotrichum and Botrytis. Functional analysis of selected genes involved in signaling pathways that affects the quiescent and active infections of Colletotrichum and Botrytis.
Identification of new glycan metabolic pathways in the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea and their role in fungus-plant interactions
Authors: Sharon Amir , Bar-Peled Maor
Published: January 2022

The involvement of glycans in microbial adherence, recognition and signaling is often a critical determinant of pathogenesis. Although the major glycan components of fungal cell walls have been identified there is limited information available on its ‘minor sugar components’ and how these change during different stages of fungal development. Our aim was to define the role of Rhacontaining-glycans in the gray mold disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus B. cinerea. The research was built on the discovery of two genes, Bcdhand bcer, that are involved in formation of UDP-KDG and UDP-Rha, two UDP- sugars that may serve as donors for the synthesis of cell surface glycans. Objectives of the proposed research included: 1) To determine the function of B. cinereaBcDh and BcEr in glycan biosynthesis and in pathogenesis, 2) To determine the expression pattern of BcDH and BcERand cellular localization of their encoded proteins, 3) Characterize the structure and distribution of Rha- containing glycans, 4) Characterization of the UDP-sugar enzymes and potential of GTs involved in glycanrhamnosylation. To address these objectives we generated a series of B. cinereamutants with modifications in the bchdhand bcergenes and the phenotype and sugar metabolism in the resulting strains were characterized. Analysis of sugar metabolites showed that changes in the genes caused changes in primary and secondary sugars, including abolishment of rhamnose, however abolishment of rhamnose synthesis did not cause changes in the fungal phenotype. In contrast, we found that deletion of the second gene, bcer, leads to accumulation of the intermediate sugar – UDP- KDG, and that such mutants suffer from a range of defects including reduced virulence. Further analyses confirmed that UDP-KDG is toxic to the fungus. Studies on mode of action suggested that UDP-KDG might affect integrity of the fungal cell wall, possibly by inhibiting UDP-sugars metabolic enzymes. Our results confirm that bcdhand bcerrepresent a single pathway of rhamnose synthesis in B. cinerea, that rhamnose does not affect in vitro development or virulence of the fungus. We also concluded that UDP-KDG is toxic to B. cinereaand hence UDP-KDG or compounds that inhibit Er enzymes and lead to accumulation of UDP-KDG might have antifungal activity. This toxicity is likely the case with other fungi, this became apparent in a collaborative work with Prof. Bart Thomma of Wageningen University, NETHERLANDS . We have shown the deletion of ER mutant in Verticillium dahlia gave plants resistance to the fungal infection.
Shaping plant architecture by age dependent programs: implications for food, feed and biofuel
Authors: Eshed Yuval , Hake Sarah
Published: January 2022

Age dependent programs are responsible for the physiological and developmental differences of young and mature plants. These include a range of morphological characters such as leaf shape and leaf composition (waxes, lignin etc..) but also different in developmental potentials. Apical buds of juvenile plants are vegetative, while those of mature plants can be reproductive. Likewise, basal buds form in the axills of juvenile leaves have different fates than distal buds formed in the axils of mature leaves. The goal of our joint project is to understand and exploit theses age related programs for specific improvement of crop plants. To that end both the WIS group and the PGEC group are using mutants with age related defects as well as modified expression of miR156 to modify age related programs in crop plants- Tomato and potato in Israel and Maize, switchgrass and Brchipodium in the US. In the US, major effort were made to: Characterize the contribution of selected miR156 target genes to yield component traits of maize. Functional analysis of microRNAs and their targets in new crop plants. In Israel, the research progressed in several directions: Understanding the interplay between age dependent programs and the potential of tomato and potato meristems to produce tubers. Evaluation of the agronomic value of mutants that alter flowering regime in side shoots in general, and in the sympodial buds in particular Characterization of wild type axillary buds, comparing shoot ontogeny of gradually maturing apices from basal and distal positions along the main shoot of tomato.
Early post-hatch thermal stress effects on broiler muscle development and performance
Authors: Halevy Orna , Velleman Sandra , Yahav Shlomo
Published: January 2022

In broilers, the immediate post-hatch handling period exposes chicks to cold or hot thermal stress, with potentially harmful consequences to product quantity and quality that could threaten poultry meat marketability as a healthy, low-fat food. This lower performance includes adverse effects on muscle growth and damage to muscle structure (e.g., less protein and more fat deposition). A leading candidate for mediating the effects of thermal stress on muscle growth and development is a unique group of skeletal muscle cells known as adult myoblasts (satellite cells). Satellite cells are multipotential stem cells that can be stimulated to follow other developmental pathways, especially adipogenesis in lieu of muscle formation. They are most active during the first week of age in broilers and have been shown to be sensitive to environmental conditions and nutritional status. The hypothesis of the present study was that immediate post-hatch thermal stress would harm broiler growth and performance. In particular, growth characteristics and gene expression of muscle progenitor cells (i.e., satellite cells) will be affected, leading to increased fat deposition, resulting in long-term changes in muscle structure and a reduction in meat yield. The in vitro studies on cultured satellite cells derived from different muscle, have demonstrated that, anaerobic pectoralis major satellite cells are more predisposed to adipogenic conversion and more sensitive during myogenic proliferation and differentiation than aerobic biceps femoris cells when challenged to both hot and cold thermal stress. These results corroborated the in vivo studies, establishing that chronic heat exposure of broiler chicks at their first two week of life leads to impaired myogenicity of the satellite cells, and increased fat deposition in the muscle. Moreover, chronic exposure of chicks to inaccurate temperature, in particular to heat vs. cold, during their early posthatch periods has long-term effects of BW, absolute muscle growth and muscle morphology and meat quality. The latter is manifested by higher lipid and collagen deposition and may lead to the white striping occurrence. The results of this study emphasize the high sensitivity of muscle progenitor cells in the early posthatch period at a time when they are highly active and therefore the importance of rearing broiler chicks under accurate ambient temperatures. From an agricultural point of view, this research clearly demonstrates the immediate and long-term adverse effects on broiler muscling and fat formation due to chronic exposure to hot stress vs. cold temperatures at early age posthatch. These findings will aid in developing management strategies to improve broiler performance in Israel and the USA. BARD Report - Project4592 Page 2 of 29
Identifying the genes involved in host root perception by root parasitic weeds: Genetic and transcriptomic analysis of Orobanche hybrids differing in signal response specificity
Authors: Westwood James H. , Tadmor Yaakov , Eizenberg Hanan
Published: January 2022

Seeds of the root parasitic plants of the genus Orobanchegerminate specifically in response to host-derived germination signals, which enables parasites to detect and attack preferred hosts. The best characterized class of germination stimulants is the strigolactones (SL), although some species respond to sesquiterpene lactones such as dehydrocostuslactone (DCL). Despite great progress in characterizing the SL signaling system in plants, the mechanism(s) by which parasite species detect specific compounds remains poorly understood. The goal of our project was to identify and characterize the genes responsible for stimulant specificity in O. cernuaand O. cumana. These two species are closely related, but differ in host range, with O. cernuaparasitizingSolanaceous crops such as tomato (and responding to SLs), and O. cumanaspecifically parasitizing sunflower (and responding to DCL). We used a genetic approach based on O. cernuax O. cumanahybrids to associate germination response with genes. We found that these parasite species each have multiple copies of KAI2d genes, which function in SL perception. In O. cernua, the OrceKAI2d2 responds to SL stimulants and is most consistently associated with hybrid lines that respond to SLs. For O. cumana, an apparently linked block of KAI2d genes was associated with response to DCL in hybrid lines, but we found no strong evidence that any of the OrcuKAI2d genes specifically recognize the DCL stimulant. Remarkably, one O. cumanagene, OrcuKAI2d5, responds to certain SLs in a genetic complementation assay, even though hybrid lines containing this gene show fidelity to DCL. In summary, we have identified the SL receptor in O. cernua, but the DCL receptor in O. cumanaremains unknown. Our data point to involvement of additional genes and yet greater levels of complexity regulating germination specificity in Orobanche. BARD Report - Project 4616 Page 2 of 8
Development of resistant crop plants to parasitic weeds based on trans-specific gene silencing
Authors: Aly Radi , Yoder John I.
Published: January 2022

Broomrapes (Orobanche/Phelipanchespp.) are holo parasitic plants that subsist on the roots of a variety of agricultural crops and cause severe losses to the yield quality and quantity. Effective methods for controlling parasitic weeds are scarce, with only a few known cases of genetic resistance. In the current study, we proposed an improved strategy for the control of parasitic weeds based on trans-specific gene-silencing of three parasite genes at once. We used two strategies to express dsRNA containing selected sequences of three Phelipancheaegyptiacagenes PaACS, PaM6PR and PaPrx1 (pma): transient expression using Tobacco rattle virus (TRV:pma) as a virus-induced gene-silencing (VIGS) vector and stable expression in transgenic tomato Solanumlycopersicum(Mill.) plants harboring a hairpin construct (pBINPLUS35:pma). siRNA-mediated transgene-silencing (20–24 nt) was detected in the host plants. Our results demonstrate that the quantities of PaACSand PaM6PR transcripts from P. aegyptiacatubercles grown on transgenic tomato or on Tobacco rattle virus-infected Nicotianabenthamianaplants were significantly reduced. However, only partial reductions in the quantity of PaPrx1 transcripts were observed in the parasite tubercles grown on tomato and on N. benthamianaplants. Concomitant with the suppression of the target genes, there were significant decreases in the number and weight of the parasite tubercles that grew on the host plants, in both the transient and the stable experimental systems. The results of the work carried out using both strategies point to the movement of mobile exogenous siRNA from the host to the parasite, leading to the impaired expression of essential parasite target genes. In light of the importance of parasitic weeds to world agriculture and the difficulty of obtaining resistance by conventional methods, we assume that genetic resistance based on the silencing of key metabolic genes in the parasite is now feasible. BARD Report - Project4622 Page 2 of 60
Bacterial sensors for food processing environments
Authors: Jelinek Raz , Dawson Paul , Hanks Timothy , Pennington William , Northcutt Julie
Published: January 2022

The overall objective of this project was to develop a new bacterial contaminant sensor based upon polydiacetylene(PDA) which is a unique polymer that changes color and configuration in response to external molecular stimuli. While this polymer has been well studied and has been shown to respond to bacterial stimuli in the laboratory, application to food processing environments has not been demonstrated. One hurdle in the application of biosensors in a food processing environment is interference of food sanitizers with the detection of bacteria. Common food sanitizers were evaluated for their response to PDA and different concentrations paving the way for use of modified PDAs developed by the research team to be used in food plants. Further development of PDA bacterial sensors focused on simplifying its application by immobilizing PDA on cotton and paper for use on swabs, wipes and dip papers. Increasing the sensitivity of PDAs was investigated by attaching fluorophores. Future and continued work will include the decoration of PDAs with apatmers to improve the specificity of the biosensor to food pathogens.
Evolution of resistance to mating disruption in the pink bollworm moth evidence and possible mechanism
Authors: Harari Ally R. , Jurenka Russell A. , Rafaeli Ada , Soroker Victoria
Published: January 2022

t The pink bollworm, Pectinophoragossypiellais a key pest of cotton world-wide. In Israel mating disruption sex pheromone is used in all cotton fields and recent repeated outbreaks of the pest populations has suggested a change in the population sex pheromone characteristics. The research goals were to (1) determine the change in pheromone characteristic of PBW females after long experience to Mating Disruption (MD), (2) to test the male’s antennae response (EAG) to pheromone characteristics of laboratory, naive females, and of field collected, MD experienced females, (3) to analyse the biosynthetic pathway for possible enzyme variations, (4) to determine the male behavioural response to the pheromone blend involved in the resistance to MD. The experiments revealed that (1) MD experienced females produced pheromone blend with higher ZZ ratio than lab reared (MD naive females) that typically produced ZZ:EE ratio of 1:1. (2) Male’s origin did not affect its response to pheromone characteristics of lab or field females. (3) A transcriptome study demonstrated many gene-encode enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway, but some of the transcripts were produced in differing levels in the MD resistant populations. (4) Male origin (field or lab) influenced males’ choice of mate with strong preference to females sharing the same origin. However, when MD was applied, males of both populations were more attracted to females originated form failed MD treated fields. We conclude that in MD failed fields a change in the population mean of the ratio of the pheromone components had occurred. Males in these fields had changed their search “image” accordingly while keeping the wide range of response to all pheromone characteristics. The change in the pheromone blend is due to different level of pheromone related enzyme production.
Identifying pathogenic determinants of Acidovorax citrulli toward the control of bacterial fruit blotch of cucurbits
Authors: Zhao Bingyu , Burdman Saul , Walcott Ronald , Pupko Tal , Welbaum Gregory
Published: January 2022

The specific objectives of this BARD proposal were: Use a comparative genomics approach to identify T3Es in group I, II and III strains of A. citrulli. Determine the bacterial genes contributing to host preference. Develop mutant strains that can be used for biological control of BFB. Background to the topic: Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB) of cucurbits, caused by Acidovoraxcitrulli, is a devastating disease that affects watermelon (Citrulluslanatus) and melon (Cucumismelo) production worldwide, including both Israel and USA. Three major groups of A. citrullistrains have been classified based on their virulence on host plants, genetics and biochemical properties. The host selection could be one of the major factors that shape A. citrullivirulence. The differences in the repertoire of type III‐ secreted effectors (T3Es) among the three A. citrulligroups could play a major role in determining host preferential association. Currently, there are only 11 A. citrulliT3Es predicted by the annotation of the genome of the group II strain, AAC00‐1. We expect that new A. citrulliT3Es can be identified by a combination of bioinformatics and experimental approaches, which may help us to further define the relationship of T3Es and host preference of A. citrulli.   Implications, both scientific and agricultural: Enriching the information on virulence and avirulence functions of T3Es will contribute to the understanding of basic aspects of A. citrulli‐cucurbit interactions. In the long term, it will contribute to the development of durable BFB resistance in commercial varieties. In the short term, identifying bacterial genes that contribute to virulence and host preference will allow the engineering of A. citrullimutants that can trigger SAR in a given host. If applied as seed treatments, these should significantly improve the effectiveness and efficacy of BFB management in melon and atermelon production.
Optimization of advanced greenhouse substrates based on physicochemical characterization, numerical simulations, and tomato growth experiments
Authors: Tuller Markus , Bar-Tal Asher , Heller Hadar , Amichai Michal
Published: January 2022

Over the last decade there has been a dramatic shift in global agricultural practice. The increase in human population, especially in underdeveloped arid and semiarid regions of the world, poses unprecedented challenges to production of an adequate and economically feasible food supply to undernourished populations. Furthermore, the increased living standard in many industrial countries has created a strong demand for high-quality, out-of-season vegetables and fruits as well as for ornamentals such as cut and potted flowers and bedding plants. As a response to these imminent challenges and demands and because of a ban on methyl bromide fumigation of horticultural field soils, soilless greenhouse production systems are regaining increased worldwide attention. Though there is considerable recent empirical and theoretical research devoted to specific issues related to control and management of soilless culture production systems, a comprehensive approach that quantitatively considers all relevant physicochemical processes within the growth substrates is lacking. Moreover, it is common practice to treat soilless growth systems as static, ignoring dynamic changes of important physicochemical and hydraulic properties due to root and microbial growth that require adaptation of management practices throughout the growth period. To overcome these shortcomings, the objectives of this project were to apply thorough physicochemical characterization of commonly used greenhouse substrates in conjunction with state-of-the-art numerical modeling (HYDRUS-3D, PARSWMS) to not only optimize management practices (i.e., irrigation frequency and rates, fertigation, container size and geometry, etc.), but to also “engineer” optimal substrates by mixing organic (e.g., coconut coir) and inorganic (e.g., perlite, pumice, etc.) base substrates and modifying relevant parameters such as the particle (aggregate) size distribution. To evaluate the proposed approach under commercial production conditions, characterization and modeling efforts were accompanied by greenhouse experiments with tomatoes. The project not only yielded novel insights regarding favorable physicochemical properties of advanced greenhouse substrates, but also provided critically needed tools for control and management of containerized soilless production systems to provide a stress-free rhizosphere environment for optimal yields, while conserving valuable production resources. Numerical modeling results provided a more scientifically sound basis for the design of commercial greenhouse production trials and selection of adequate plant-specific substrates, thereby alleviating the risk of costly mistrials.
Genetic and transcriptomic analysis of postharvest decay resistance in Malus sieversii and the characterization of pathogenicity effectors in Penicillium expansum
Authors: Wisniewski Michael E. , Droby Samir , Norelli John L. , Sela Noa , Levin Elena
Published: January 2022

Blue mold of apple caused by Penicilliumexpansumis a major postharvest disease. Selection for postharvest disease resistance in breeding programs has been ignored in favor of fruit quality traits such as size, color, taste, etc. The identification of postharvest disease resistance as a heritable trait would represent a significant accomplishment and has not been attempted in apple. Furthermore, insight into the biology of the pathogenicity of P. expansumin apple could provide new approaches to postharvest decay management. Hypothesis: Postharvest resistance of apple to P. expansumcan be mapped to specific genetic loci and significant quantitative-trait-loci (QTLs) can be identified that account for a major portion of the population variance. Susceptibility of apple fruit to P. expansumis dependent on the ability of the pathogen to produce LysM effectors that actively suppress primary and/or secondary resistance mechanisms in the fruit. Objectives: 1) Identify QTL(s) and molecular markers for blue mold resistance in GMAL4593 mapping population (‘Royal Gala’ X MalussieversiiPI613981), 2) Characterize the transcriptome of the host and pathogen (P. expansum) during the infection process 3) Determine the function of LysM genes in pathogenicity of P. expansum. Methods: A phenotypic evaluation of blue mold resistance in the GMAL4593 mapping population, conducted in several different years, will be used for QTL analysis (using MapQTL 6.0) to identify loci associated with blue mold resistance. Molecular markers will be developed for the resistance loci. Transcriptomic analysis by RNA-seq will be used to conduct a time course study of gene expression in resistant and susceptible apple GMAL4593 genotypes in response to P. expansum, as well as fungal responses to both genotypes. Candidate resistance genes identified in the transcriptomic study and or bioinformatic analysis will be positioned in the ‘Golden Delicious’ genome to identify markers that co-locate with the identified QTL(s). A functional analysis of LysM genes on pathogenicity will be conducted by eliminating or reducing the expression of individual effectors by heterologous recombination and silencing technologies. LysMeffector genes will also be expressed in a yeast expression system to study protein function. Expected Results: Identification of postharvest disease resistance QTLs and tightly-linked genetic markers. Increased knowledge of the role of effectors in blue mold pathogenic
What shapes the crossover landscape in maize and wheat and how can we modify it
Authors: Pawlowski Wojtek P. , Levy Avraham A.
Published: January 2022

Meiotic recombination is a process in which homologous chromosomes engage in the exchange of DNA segments, creating gametes with new genetic makeup and progeny with new traits. The genetic diversity generated in this way is the main engine of crop improvement in sexually reproducing plants. Understanding regulation of this process, particularly the regulation of the rate and location of recombination events, and devising ways of modifying them, was the major motivation of this project. The project was carried out in maize and wheat, two leading crops, in which any advance in the breeder’s toolbox can have a huge impact on food production. Preliminary work done in the USA and Israeli labs had established a strong basis to address these questions. The USA lab pioneered the ability to map sites where recombination is initiated via the induction of double-strand breaks in chromosomal DNA. It has a long experience in cytological analysis of meiosis. The Israeli lab has expertise in high resolution mapping of crossover sites and has done pioneering work on the importance of epigenetic modifications for crossover distribution. It has identified genes that limit the rates of recombination. Our working hypothesis was that an integrative analysis of double-strand breaks, crossovers, and epigenetic data will increase our understanding of how meiotic recombination is regulated and will enhance our ability to manipulate it. The specific objectives of the project were: To analyze the connection between double-strand breaks, crossover, and epigenetic marks in maize and wheat. Protocols developed for double-strand breaks mapping in maize were applied to wheat. A detailed analysis of existing and new data in maize was conducted to map crossovers at high resolution and search for DNA sequence motifs underlying crossover hotspots. Epigenetic modifications along maize chromosomes were analyzed as well. Finally, a computational analysis tested various hypotheses on the importance of chromatin structure and specific epigenetic modifications in determining the locations of double-strand breaks and crossovers along chromosomes. Transient knockdowns of meiotic genes that suppress homologous recombination were carried out in wheat using Virus-Induced Gene Silencing. The target genes were orthologs of FANCM, DDM1, MET1, RECQ4, and XRCC2.
Characterization of the chorismate mutase effector (SsCm1) from Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Authors: Dickman Martin B. , Yarden Oded
Published: January 2022

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a filamentous fungus (mold) that causes plant disease. It has an extremely wide range of hosts (>400 species) and causes considerable damage (annual multimillion dollar losses) in economically important crops. It has proven difficult to control (culturally or chemically) and host resistance to this fungus has generally been inadequate. It is believed that this fungus occurs in almost every country. Virulence of this aggressive pathogen is bolstered by a wide array of plant cell wall degrading enzymes and various compounds (secondary metabolites) produced by the fungus. It is well established that plant pathogenic fungi secrete proteins and small molecules that interact with host cells and play a critical role in disease development. Such secreted proteins have been collectively designated as “effectors”. Plant resistance against some pathogens can be mediated by recognition of such effectors. Alternatively, effectors can interfere with plant defense. Some such effectors are recognized by the host plant and can culminate in a programmed cell death (PCD) resistant response. During the course of this study, we analyzed an effector in Sclerotiniasclerotiorum. This specific effector, SsCM1 is the protein chorismatemutase, which is an enzyme involved in a pathway which is important in the production of important amino acids, such a Tryptophan. We have characterized the Sclerotiniaeffector, SsCM1, and have shown that inactivation of Sscm1 does not affect fungal vegetative growth, development or production of oxalic acid (one of this fungus’ secondary metabolites associated with disease) production. However, yhis does result in reduced fungal virulence. We show that, unexpectedly, the SsCM1 protein translocates to the host chloroplast, and demonstrated that this process is required for full fungal virulence. We have also determined that the fungal SsCM1 protein can interact with similar proteins produced by the host. In addition, we have shown that the fungal SsCM1 is able to suppress at least some of the effects imposed by reactive oxygen species which are produced as a defense mechanism by the host. Last, but not least, the results of our studies have provided evidence contradicting the current dogma on at least some of the mechanist aspects of how this pathogen infects the host. Contrary to previousons, indicating that this pathogen kills its host by use of metabolites and enzymes that degrade the host tissue (a process called necrotrophy), we now know that at least in the early phases of infection, the fungus interacts with live host tissue (a phenomenon known as biotrophy). Taken together, the results of our studies provide novel insights concerning the mechanistic aspects of Sclerotinia-host interactions. We hope this information will be used to interfere with the disease cycle in a manner that will protect plants from this devastating fungus.
Building local brand for fresh fruits and vegetables: A strategic approach aimed at strengthening the local agricultural sector
Authors: Just David , Heiman Amir
Published: January 2022

Abstract The debate about whether to reduce import barriers on fresh produce in order to decrease the cost of living and increase welfare or to continue protecting the local agricultural sector by imposing import duties on fresh vegetables and fruits has been part of the Israeli and the US political dialog. The alternative of building a strong local brand that will direct patriotic feelings to support of the agricultural sector has been previously discussed in the literature as a non-tax barrier to global competition. The motivation of consumers to pay more for local fresh fruits and vegetables are better quality, environmental concerns, altruism, and ethnocentrism. Local patriotic feelings are expected to be stronger among national-religious consumers and weaker among secular left wing voters. This project empirically analyzes consumers’ attitude toward local agricultural production, perceptions of the contribution of the agricultural sector to society and how these perceptions interact with patriotic beliefs and socio-political variables perhaps producing an ethnocentric preference for fruits and vegetables. This patriotic feeling may be contrasted with feelings toward rival (or even politically opposing) countries competing in the same markets. Thus geo-political landscape may help shape the consumer’s preferences and willingness to purchase particular products. Our empirical analysis is based on two surveys, one conducted among Israeli shoppers and one conducted among US households. We find strong influences of nationalism, patriotism and ethnocentrism on demand for produce in both samples. In the case of Israel this manifests itself as a significant discount demanded for countries in conflict with Israel (e.g., Syria or Palestine), with the discount demanded being related to the strength of the conflict. Moreover, the effect is larger for those who are either more religious, or those who identify with right leaning political parties. The results from the US are strikingly similar. For some countries the perception of conflict is dependent on political views (e.g., Mexico), while for others there is a more agreement (e.g., Russia). Despite a substantially different religious and political landscape, both right leaning political views and religiosity play strong roles in demand for foreign produce.
SISTEM INFORMASI PENCEGAHAN STUNTING PADA ANAK DI KABUPATEN PEKALONGAN BERBASIS ANDROID
Authors: Fatkhudin Aslam , Prabowo Yully , Wicaksono Titis Aji
Published: January 2022

Stunting atau pertumbuhan yang tidak normal pada anak merupakan salah satu permasalahan yang sedang dihadapi oleh Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Pekalongan. Tidak adanya sistem informasi tentang stunting yang mudah didapat oleh masyarakat merupakan aspek yang membuat lambatnya penyelesaian masalah stunting di Kabupaten Pekalonagan. Sehingga untuk mempercepat penyelesaian masalah stunting di Kabupaten Pekalongan maka memerlukan sistem informasi yang dapat diterima masyarakat dengan mudah dan cepat. Metode pengumpulan data yaitu dengan wawancara mengajukan pertanyaan yang berkaitan dengan sistem pencegahan stunting pada anak di Kabupaten Pekalongan, dengan cara observasi yaitu mengadakan pengamatan secara langsung ke Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Pekalongan, dalam penelitian ini metode pengembangan sistem yang digunakan yaitu waterfall dengan perangkat lunak pendukung yang digunakan adalah PHP dan MySQL. Melihat realita diatas, maka dibutuhkan sistem informasi berbasis android yang berguna untuk memudahkan Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Pekalongan dan Masyarakat dalam mengupayakan terselesainya masalah stunting di Kabupaten Pekalongan. Aplikasi ini selain dapat memberikan informasi stunting pada masyarkat juga terdapat menu pengecekan kesehatan anak terkait pertumbuhan anak serta menu diskusi yang dapat digunakan oleh masyarakat untuk berkomunikasi dengan Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Pekalongan.
SISTEM MONITORING SUHU DAN KELEMBABAN BERBASIS IoT PADA PROSES PEMBUATAN PUPUK ORGANIK PADAT
Authors: Amin Muhammad Saiful , Susanti Ambar , Airlangga Primaadi
Published: January 2022

The Process Of Making Organic Fertilizer requires a certain temperature and humidity to keep the microorganisms used to be able to stay alive and can decompose perfectly, for that it is necessary to monitor temperature and humidity. Along with the development of this technology, it can be done by remote automation using a microcontroller on the ESP8266 nodemcu based on IoT (Internet Of Things), which is combined with the DS18B20 sensor for temperature measurement and soil moisture sensor, as a humidity meter with a temperature unit of °C. The humidity meter is an analog signal, the larger the value, the more humid of organic fertilizer. Acquired measurement data is sent to the Smartphone using an internet-connected ESP8266 monitoring temperature and humidity, which can be viewed via the Blynk App.
Time Series Long-Term Forecasting of per Capita Electricity Consumption for Bangladesh
Authors: Rubel Robiul Islam , Ali Md. Hasan , Alam Md. Ariful
Published: January 2022

Bangladesh government has announced Vision-2041 of electricity generation and distribution to uplift the socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh. It is now entering into the list of middle-income countries and now planning for energy as one key measure to sustainable development. Policymakers are trying to forecast the future per capita electricity consumption and set up a feasible way of electricity generation over longer periods for sustainable development of Bangladesh through preventing underestimation or overestimation that could cause a huge loss in the financial sector of Bangladesh. This work focuses on long-term estimation of electricity consumption for Bangladesh, time series models have been used to forecast per capita electricity consumption from fiscal year (FY) 2019/20-2040/41 (next 22 years). An actual past historical data of FY 1976/77-2018/19 (43 years) has been analysed on Minitab 17 to get the most favourable time series model for forecasting per capita electricity consumption of Bangladesh. ARIMA has appeared as the most accurate time series model over the actual historical data of 43 years with the lowest MAPE, MAD, and MSD as 4.50, 3.23, and 15.40, respectively.
Analysis of Upwelling Events in the Southern South China Sea Using Multi-Mission Satellite Altimeter
Authors: Din Ami Hassan Md , Dolhan Abdul Rafiq , Hamden Mohammad Hanif , Uti Mat Nizam , Pa’suya Muhammad Faiz
Published: January 2022

Upwelling is a vital ocean behaviour, especially for the Fisheries Industry, where upwelling will help to detect fish ground at a particular ocean area. However, the study of upwelling is minimal and not well understood due to some reasons and constraints, such as limited observation. Upwelling lacks a comprehensive in-situ observation system where it relies on limited information collected from the ground-truthing execution such as ships, buoys, and current meter.  This study aims to analyse the upwelling pattern in the southern region of the South China Sea by using a multi-mission satellite altimeter. In order to derive the physical oceanography that involves upwelling, such as sea surface height (SSH), Mean Dynamic Topography (MDT), and the Sea Level Anomaly (SLA), the Radar Altimeter Database System is used. Five Satellite Altimeter mission is used in this study, which is JASON-2, JASON-3, CYROSAT2, SARAL, SENTINAL3A from 2013 to 2017. Validation is made using a statistical method showing a good correlation between Altimetry data and Tidal Data at tide gauge, which is 0.84 to 0.97, respectively. Also, monthly altimetry derived Geostrophic Current was assessed by analysing the current pattern where it shows a similarity with a previous study where the current velocity is 0.5ms-1 to 2ms-1. From the result, eddies can be seen in the seasonal and monthly Absolute Geostrophic Ocean Current (AGOC) map, indicating the present presence of upwelling. In conclusion, this study will benefit other researchers in terms of both upwelling and eddy studies.
Prediction of Intensive Care Cases for COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia: An Artificial Neural Networks Approach
Authors: Ahmarofi Ahmad Afif , Zainal Abidin Norhaslinda , Zabidi Nerda Zura
Published: January 2022

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Malaysia is a part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic. The emergence of COVID-19 has led to high demand for intensive care services worldwide. However, the severity of COVID-19 patients that need intensive care unit (ICU) treatments requires details investigation. This study aims to predict the number of ICU cases due to COVID-19 disease in Malaysia. The prediction was done based on the data related to new, recovered, and treated cases which were collected from the website of the Ministry of Health Malaysia started from April until August 2020. Artificial Neural Networks Multilayers Perceptron Backpropagation (ANN-MLP-BPP) model was developed for predicting ICU cases based on the usage of the real set of data. The ANN-MLP-BPP model was validated by splitting the data into 80% for training and 20% for testing. The results show that with the increase in the number of undertreated cases, the number of predicted ICU will also be increased. The predicted ICU admission is almost equivalent to a 1 percent increment of the number of cases undertreated. These findings may help the frontline physicians in planning and handling the facilities management during the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the future.
Authors: Pratama Loviga Denny , Al-ahdab Villah Mohammad Hafas , Badriyah Fa’iqotul
Published: January 2022

Mayoritas Masyarakat Desa Sentulan Kabupaten Probolinggo memiliki anak pada jenjang MI. Akibat dari pandemi Covid 19, anak-anak tersebut hampir setiap hari harus mengoperasikan smartphone dan internet sebagai alat komunikasi sebagai media mereka dalam pembelajaran online (via daring). Masyarakatpun menyadari bahwa anaknya akan berisiko terpapar berbagai konten dewasa. Sehingga dipandang penting untuk membekali anak dengan informasi yang tepat tentang jenis kelamin dan seksualitas berdasarkan usia dan tahap perkembangan mereka untuk menjawab tantangan pesatnya pertumbuhan era digital. Melalui pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini dilakukan bersama mahasiswa Universitas Islam Zainul Hasan Genggong melalui Program Kuliah Kerja Nyata (KKN) dan menggunakan metode ABCD (Asset-Based Community-driven Development). Hasilnya dapat ditarik kesimpulan bahwa pendidikan seks sangat penting untuk diberikan sejak anak berada pada usia dini. Selain itu, setelah program selesai, terjadi perubahan positif pada perilaku anak-anak Desa Sentulan Kabupaten Probolinggo.
Authors: Fatwasauri Icha , Hadziqoh Nur , Sella Vonny Mei
Published: January 2022

Teaching aids are one of the learning media that can make it easier for teachers to carry out teaching and make it easier for students to understand the material provided. The biology learning process carried out at Yabri Terpadu Junior High School Pekanbaru has not used teaching aids as learning media. Community service activities are carried out at the Yabri Integrated Junior High School in Pekanbaru with the aim of helping students who have difficulty understanding and working on Human Circulatory System questions. The props are expected to help students in remembering how the human circulatory system processes. Students can easily remember the process of the human circulatory system using visual aids that seem real rather than reading a text book in the form of a narrative. It is hoped that the use of teaching aids can help teachers overcome the difficulties of learning Biology, especially in the material of the Human Circulatory System.