bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Survival and accumulation of microorganisms in soils irrigated with secondary treated wastewater
Authors: Malkawi Hanan I. , Mohammad Munir J. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractSecondary‐treated wastewater was used to irrigate forage crops during two years (1994 and 1995). The bacteriological quality of the soil irrigated with both secondary treated wastewater (without chlorination) and with potable water was evaluated. The following three treatments were investigated in this study: i) irrigation with potable water in amount equivalent to 100% of the class A Pan evaporation reading (as taken from the nearest Meteorological Weather Station); ii) irrigation with treated wastewater in amount equivalent to 100% of the A Pan reading and iii) irrigation with treated wastewater in amount equivalent to 125% of the A Pan reading. At the end of the last growing season, soil samples were collected at two soil depths and subjected to microbiological analysis. The bacteriological analysis showed that the total aerobic bacterial counts of surface soil were similar in all irrigated plots, suggesting that the use of this wastewater did not stimulate or inhibit these microflora. Surface soil was found to have higher bacterial counts than deeper soil suggesting bacterial removal from irrigation water by the first few centimeters of soil due to natural infiltration of soil. The total coliforms ranged from 2.1 × 103CFU/g to 4.2 × 103CFU/g while fecal coliforms were less, ranging from 1.2 × 102CFU/g to 4.2 × 102CFU/g. No detectable helminth eggs were recorded in the treated wastewater used for irrigation. The results strongly suggest the necessity to treat wastewater effluents to an extent to which no or very few residual bacterial contaminants will be detected.
Induction of phenol utilization in Pseudomonas CF600 grown under varying nitrogen levels
Authors: Moharikar Aditi , Purohit Hemant J. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThis study demonstrates the effect of various nitrogen levels in the medium along with different carbon sources in the media on the utilization of phenol by Pseudomonas CF600. Experiments were carried out using cultures derived from minimal media containing the carbon sources phenol and citrate, followed by varying nitrogen levels in the medium. Respirometric analysis under different conditions was carried out with cells using phenol and catechol as substrates. When nitrogen was limiting in the medium, phenol induced higher oxygen uptake rates, whereas catechol was independent of the nitrogen levels. These observations were also supported by the residual phenol levels in the medium with different levels of nitrogen as NH4 ion. Results show that nitrogen‐limiting conditions favor the phenol utilization by Pseudomonas CF600.
The activities of the two thioredoxins from Streptomyces aureofaciens are not interchangeable
Authors: Horecká Tatiana , Perečko Dušan , Kutejová Eva , Mikulášová Darina , Kollárová Marta 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThe physico‐chemical features of the NADPH‐thioredoxin reductase (TRR) and two thioredoxins from Streptomyces aureofaciens (A14) are reported. The activity of pure S. aureofaciens thioredoxin reductase decreased drastically in the presence of NADPH or NADH while NADP+, NAD+, as well as S. aureofaciens thioredoxin‐1 (TR1) activated the enzyme activity significantly. TR1 fully protected the enzyme from inactivation and also promoted its complete reactivation. S. aureofaciens thioredoxin‐2 (TR2) did not protect thioredoxin reductase from NADPH inactivation. The results indicate that although the two thioredoxins from S. aureofaciens have similar biochemical properties, their essential oxidoreductase activities are not interchangeable.
The influence of co‐cultivation on expression of the antifungal protein in Aspergillus giganteus
Authors: Meyer Vera , Stahl Ulf 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThe afp gene of Aspergillus giganteus encodes a small, highly basic polypeptide with antifungal activity, named Antifungal Protein (AFP). The protein is secreted by the mould and inhibits the growth of various filamentous fungi. In this paper we report that co‐cultivation of A. giganteus with various microorganisms alters afp expression. It was found that co‐cultivation modulates afp expression on the level of transcription, using a reporter system based on the β‐glucuronidase gene. The presence of Fusarium oxysporum triggered afp transcription whereas dual cultures of A. giganteus and A. niger resulted in suppression of afp transcription. Growth tests performed with several carbon and nitrogen sources, revealed that the influence of co‐cultivation is strongly dependent on the medium composition.
Comparison of aspartate transcarbamoylase regulation in Pseudomonas alcaligenes and Pseudomonas mendocina
Authors: Santiago Manuel F. , West Thomas P. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThe regulation of aspartate transcarbamoylase activity in cell extracts of Pseudomonas alcaligenes ATCC 14909 and Pseudomonas mendocina ATCC 25411 was compared. Under saturating substrate concentrations, pyrophosphate, CTP, UDP and ADP were highly inhibitory of the P. alcaligenes transcarbamoylase activity while pyrophosphate, UDP, ADP, ATP and GTP were the most effective inhibitors of the P. mendocina transcarbamoylase. By examining transcarbamoylase inhibition by ribonucleotide triphosphates, it was possible to differentiate these species assigned to different DNA homology groups and such an analysis might prove useful in the reclassification of Pseudomonas species.
Screening for soluble methane monooxygenase in methanotrophic bacteria using combined molecular and biochemical methods for hydroxylase detection
Authors: Grosse Stephan , Mueller Claudia , Rogge Gerlind , Wendlandt Karin‐Dagmar , Miguez Carlos B. , Kleber Hans‐Peter 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThree well known methanotrophic bacteria (Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, Methylocystis sp. WI 14, and Methylocystis sp. GB 25) and three newly isolated methanotrophic bacteria (Methylocystis sp. WI 11, Methylocystis sp. X, and FI‐9) were screened for sMMO considering the existence of hydroxylase (component A) genes as well as its gene expression. For these purposes monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize each subunit of the hydroxylase of Methylocystis sp. WI 14 (α‐subunit [9E5/F2], β‐subunit [4E2/G11], γ‐subunit [10G3/D7]) were produced. PCR amplification using well known primers showed that the hydroxylase encoding genes appear to be only present in M. trichosporium OB3b, Methylocystis sp. WI 11 and WI 14, and in the isolate FI‐9. Western and ELISA analysis using the monoclonal antibodies revealed that all subunits of hydroxylase were present. However, in FI‐9, only the α‐subunit of the hydroxylase might be expressed. Surprisingly, in Methylocystis sp. GB 25, where no sMMO activity and no amplification with sMMO specific primers was obtained, the antibody 4E2/G11 recognized a protein band with exactly the same molecular mass as the β‐subunit of the hydroxylase. Methylocystis sp. X showed no positive reaction in any of the tests. In combination with the detection methods currently used, the described antibodies provide a powerful tool for detecting even partially expressed hydroxylase genes.
Mediated and direct effects of the North Atlantic Ocean on winter temperatures in northwest Europe
Authors: Junge Martina M. , Stephenson David B. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractThis study has used a multiple regression model to quantify the importance of wintertime mean North Atlantic sea‐surface temperatures (SSTs) for explaining (simultaneous) variations in wintertime mean temperatures in northwestern Europe. Although wintertime temperature variations are primarily determined by atmospheric flow patterns, it has been speculated that North Atlantic SSTs might also provide some additional information. To test this hypothesis, we have attempted to explain 1900–93 variations in wintertime mean central England temperature (CET) by using multiple regression with contemporaneous winter mean North Atlantic sea‐level pressures (SLPs) and SSTs as explanatory variables. With no SST information, the leading SLP patterns (including the North Atlantic oscillation) explain 63% of the total variance in winter mean CET; however, SSTs alone are capable of explaining only 16% of the variance in winter mean CET. Much of the SST effect is ‘indirect’ in that it supplies no more significant information than already contained in the mean SLP; e.g. both SLP and SST together can only explain 68% of the variance. However, there is a small (5% variance) direct effect due to SST that is not mediated by mean SLP, which has a spatial pattern resembling the Newfoundland SST pattern identified by Ratcliffe and Murray (1970. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 96: 226–246). In predictive mode, however, using explanatory variables from preceding seasons, SSTs contain more information than SLP factors. On longer time scales, the variance explained by contemporaneous SST increases, but the SLP explanatory variables still provide a better model than the SST variables. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Microclimate of a desert playa: evaluation of annual radiation, energy, and water budgets components
Authors: Malek Esmaiel 
Published: February 2003

AbstractWe set up two automatic weather stations over a playa (the flat floor of an undrained desert basin that, at times, becomes a shallow lake), approximately 65 km east–west by 130 km north–south, located in Dugway (40° 08′N, 113° 27′W, 1124 m above mean sea level) in northwestern Utah, USA, in 1999. These stations measured the radiation budget components, namely: incoming Rsi and outgoing Rso solar or shortwave radiation, using two Kipp and Zonen pyranometers (one inverted), the incoming Rli (or atmospheric) and outgoing Rlo (or terrestrial) longwave radiation, using two Kipp and Zonen pyrgeometers (one inverted) during the year 2000. These sensors were ventilated throughout the year to prevent dew and frost formation. Summation of these components yields the net radiation Rn. We also measured the air temperatures and humidity at 1 and 2 m and the soil moisture and temperature (Campbell Sci., Inc., CSI) to evaluate the energy budget components (latent (LE), sensible (H), and the soil (Gsur) heat fluxes). The 10 m wind speed U10 and direction (R.M. Young wind monitor), precipitation (CSI), and the surface temperature (Radiation and Energy Balance Systems, REBS) were also measured during 2000. The measurements were taken every 2 s, averaged into 20 min, continuously, throughout the year 2000. The annual comparison of radiation budget components indicates that about 34% of the annual Rsi (6937.7 MJ m−2 year−1) was reflected back to the sky as Rso, with Rli and Rlo amounting to 9943.4 MJ m−2 year−1 and 12 789.7 MJ m−2 year−1 respectively. This yields about 1634.3 MJ m−2 year−1 as Rn, which is about 24% of the annual Rsi. Of the total 1634.3 MJ m−2 year−1 available energy, about 25% was used for the process of evaporation (LE) and 77% for heating the air (H). The annual heat contribution from the soil to the energy budget amounted to 2% during the experimental period. Our studies showed that the total annual measured precipitation amounted to 108.0 mm year−1 during the year 2000, but the total evaporation was 167.6 mm year−1, which means some water was extracted from the shallow water table (about 60 cm on the average depth during the year 2000). Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society.
Changes in spring weather conditions and atmospheric circulation in Estonia (1955–95)
Authors: Keevallik Sirje 
Published: February 2003

AbstractAn analysis has been undertaken at Tiirikoja Meteorological Station to investigate changes in the main weather elements in late winter and spring during the period 1955–95. The relationship between these changes and the trends in the atmospheric circulation above Estonia have also been analysed. The latter was estimated from wind speed and direction data recorded at Tallinn Aerological Station at two isobaric levels (500 and 850 hPa). These data permitted the analysts to calculate zonal and meridional components of wind velocity at both levels. Linear trends were fitted to time series of monthly averages of all parameters under consideration. The results indicate that significant changes in meteorological parameters took place in March. These changes are statistically related to the changes in the average airflow in the free atmosphere above Estonia. In March the wind speed at the 500 and 850 hPa isobaric levels increased and the average airflow turned from WNW or NW to SW or WSW. Such changes in the atmospheric circulation can only partly be attributed to the intensification of the North Atlantic oscillation. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
A conceptual model relating the quasi‐biennial oscillation and the tropospheric biennial oscillation
Authors: Kwan Kok Foo , Samah Azizan Abu 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA survey of the zonal wind throughout the troposphere and the lower stratosphere near the equator is made for the 41 year period of 1958–98. A similar survey of the 500 hPa geopotential height, sea‐surface temperature (SST) and tropopause height is also made, except that the survey period for the tropopause height is shorter than 41 years due to unavailability of data.Other than the well‐known quasi‐biennial oscillation (QBO) feature in the lower stratosphere and the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO) feature exhibited by the SST, similar oscillation features are found throughout the whole troposphere by both surveys. Pearson cross‐correlation functions and smoothed power spectrums of all meteorological parameters used in the surveys indicate that all these features are statistically significant at the 90–95% confidence level.The Pearson cross‐correlation functions are further used to deduce a conceptual model relating the QBO in the lower stratosphere and the TBO feature found in the interannual variability of monsoon pattern at and near the surface of the Earth. The QBO and TBO seem to be interrelated to each other thermodynamically. Thoughts on QBO–TBO connections in this conceptual model are tentative and await full testing. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society.
The contribution of increased incoming shortwave radiation to the retreat of the Rwenzori Glaciers, East Africa, during the 20th century
Authors: Mölg Thomas , Georges Christian , Kaser Georg 
Published: February 2003

AbstractBased on (i) the observation of spatially differential glacier retreats in the tropical Rwenzori Range (East Africa) during the 20th century, which are most striking on the mountains Baker and Speke, and (ii) the information on an abrupt climate change to drier conditions in East Africa at the end of the 19th century, the following hypothesis is derived: owing to a drier atmosphere than in a previous period, both accumulation (possibly supported by increasing air temperatures) and convective cloud activity have decreased. Consequently, increased incoming shortwave radiation, especially during the morning hours, induced a differentially increased ablation that could not be compensated by mass advection on the mountains Baker and Speke.The results obtained from a combined radiation–terrain model, run for one more humid and one drier climatic scenario, confirm the hypothesis by quantifying the correlation between increased incoming shortwave radiation and glacier surface area loss. In the context of modern climate fluctuations, the results are a further indicator for a drastic climatic dislocation in East Africa at the end of the 19th century, leaving a humid regime behind and leading to a relatively dry regime, which is forcing the recession of glaciers not only by less accumulation but also by less protection against shortwave radiation through clouds. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society.
Long‐term trends in near‐surface flow over the Baltic
Authors: Pryor S. C. , Barthelmie R. J. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractWe report an analysis of trends in 850 hPa wind speed, as manifest in the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis fields, over the Baltic region during the latter half of the 20th century. The results indicate that annual mean wind speeds over the Baltic significantly increased over the period 1953–99 with the majority of the increase being associated with increases in the upper quartile of the wind speed distribution. Accordingly, much of the change is focused on the winter season. The trends in annual and seasonal mean wind speeds are greatest in relative and absolute sense in the southwest of the Baltic basin, where they are in excess of 0.25 m s−1 per decade for the annual mean. The extremes of the wind‐speed distribution also increased by up to 5 m s−1 over the study period for the wind speed with a 50 year return period, again with the largest magnitude changes in the southwestern Baltic. These changes in wind speed are strongly linked to changes in the synoptic‐scale circulation. The majority of the increase in wintertime wind speeds is attributable to an increase in westerly anticyclonic, westerly cyclonic and northwesterly cyclonic circulation types as manifest in the Grosswetterlagen catalogue, which are in turn related to the recent prevalence of the positive phase of the North Atlantic oscillation. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Trends affecting pluviometric indices at the Fabra Observatory (Barcelona, NE Spain) from 1917 to 1999
Authors: Lana X. , Serra C. , Burgueño A. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractA set of daily rainfall amounts collected at the Fabra Observatory (Barcelona, NE Spain) from 1917 to 1999 has made it possible to compute several pluviometric indices at seasonal and annual scales for every year, after applying a low‐pass filter. The first index is obtained by considering the time series of seasonal and annual rainfall amounts. The next two indices evaluate the number of days equalling or exceeding a threshold rainfall level and the average intensity for these days. These procedures are applied to different threshold rainfall levels accounting for all rainy days and the sets of days reaching the 25, 50 and 75% percentile of daily rainfall amounts. The fourth index is defined as the quotient between cumulative rainfall for some class intervals and the total rainfall. Daily amounts falling within the <25, 25–50, 50–75, 75–90 and ≥90% percentile rainfall amounts define the class intervals. Additionally, the same indices are also calculated for the 95% percentile of rainy days, which correspond to outstanding daily amounts. A detailed analysis of the trends affecting all these indices and their statistical significance suggests the effects of a possible climatic change on the pluviometric regime of the Fabra Observatory over the course of the 20th century. Moreover, the resulting trends are compared with those inferred from data from around the planet during the 20th century and with other Mediterranean rain gauges. By comparing this with regional rain data series, the possibility of the heat island effect of the city of Barcelona is argued to be the cause of the significant positive trends found in rainfall amounts. As far as possible linkages between trends on the pluviometric regime and circulation patterns are concerned, a set of cross‐correlations between these indices and the North Atlantic oscillation index has been examined. However, the results are not conclusive, as most of the cross‐correlation coefficients obtained are small and not statistically significant. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Relationships between rainfall and West African wave disturbances in station observations
Authors: Taleb El Houssein , Druyan Leonard M. 
Published: February 2003

AbstractMorlet wavelets of the meridional component of daily radiosonde wind observations above four West Africa stations were constructed for May–September seasons, 1950–84, at three vertical levels. The passage of African wave disturbances (AWDs) at each station was detected as statistically significant wavelet amplitudes within two spectral bands. The detected AWD activity, or lack of it, was compared with the precipitation record at each station. Results demonstrate that AWDs account for only a proportion of the seasonal rainfall, implying that other precipitation triggers are also important. In addition, the analysis finds that many AWD traversals fail to initiate heavy rainfall at the selected stations. At Niamey, the average precipitation amount per wave had a positive trend between 1953 and 1978. With few exceptions, seasonal precipitation totals were not correlated with the number of days on which AWDs were detected. Although the seasonal average precipitation amount per AWD day exhibited a positive trend at Niamey between 1953 and 1978, there was no corresponding interannual trend in total seasonal precipitation. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society
Comparative dry matter intake and nutrient utilisation efficiency in lactating cattle and buffaloes
Authors: Paul Shyam S , Mandal Asit B , Kannan Alagarsamy , Mandal Guru P , Pathak Nitya N 
Published: February 2003

AbstractAn attempt was made to assess the comparative dry matter intake and nutrient utilisation efficiency of lactating buffaloes and cows based on results obtained from experimental feeding trials conducted in India. Data on dry matter (DM) intake, total digestible nutrient (TDN) intake, digestible crude protein (DCP) intake, body weight or metabolic body size (MBS), body weight change, milk yield or 4% fat‐corrected milk (FCM) yield, milk fat percentage and roughage/concentrate ratio in the diet of lactating buffaloes and cows were collected from published reports. The data were processed and analysed to assess the comparative dry matter intake and nutrient utilisation efficiency using suitable statistical analysis models. DM intake was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in buffaloes (2.57 kg DM per 100 kg body weight or 119.2 g kg−1 MBS) than in cattle (3.09 kg DM per 100 kg body weight or 132.0 g kg−1 MBS). Mean gross energetic efficiency (30.53 versus 27.83%; P < 0.01), gross protein efficiency (45.48 versus 37.06%; P < 0.01), net energetic efficiency (69.16 versus 64.10%; P < 0.05) and net protein efficiency (80.15 versus 59.59%; P < 0.001) were significantly higher in buffaloes than in cattle. Lactating buffaloes consumed significantly less (P < 0.001) protein (75.69 g DCP) and less (P < 0.01) energy (695.9 g TDN) than cows (93.89 g DCP, 774.8 g TDN) for production of 1 kg of 4% fat‐corrected milk. Buffaloes had higher energy and protein utilisation efficiencies as compared with cattle at similar fat‐corrected milk production level, plane of energy and protein nutrition, body size and body weight change. Buffaloes (1.189 kg DM kg−1 4% FCM) consumed a similar (P > 0.05) amount of feed dry matter to that of cows (1.267 kg DM kg−1 4% FCM). However, when DM intake kg−1 FCM (4%) was compared at constant levels of metabolic body size, fat‐corrected milk, body weight change, dietary energy concentration and green forage percentage in the diet, lactating buffaloes consumed significantly less DM kg−1 FCM yield as compared with cattle. It was concluded that DM intake was lower in lactating buffaloes. Moreover, lactating buffaloes utilised dietary dry matter, energy and protein for milk production more efficiently than cattle.© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry