| 1. |
- Abbott, Benjamin W., et al.
(author)
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Biomass offsets little or none of permafrost carbon release from soils, streams, and wildfire : an expert assessment
- 2016
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In: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 11:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As the permafrost region warms, its large organic carbon pool will be increasingly vulnerable to decomposition, combustion, and hydrologic export. Models predict that some portion of this release will be offset by increased production of Arctic and boreal biomass; however, the lack of robust estimates of net carbon balance increases the risk of further overshooting international emissions targets. Precise empirical or model-based assessments of the critical factors driving carbon balance are unlikely in the near future, so to address this gap, we present estimates from 98 permafrost-region experts of the response of biomass, wildfire, and hydrologic carbon flux to climate change. Results suggest that contrary to model projections, total permafrost-region biomass could decrease due to water stress and disturbance, factors that are not adequately incorporated in current models. Assessments indicate that end-of-the-century organic carbon release from Arctic rivers and collapsing coastlines could increase by 75% while carbon loss via burning could increase four-fold. Experts identified water balance, shifts in vegetation community, and permafrost degradation as the key sources of uncertainty in predicting future system response. In combination with previous findings, results suggest the permafrost region will become a carbon source to the atmosphere by 2100 regardless of warming scenario but that 65%-85% of permafrost carbon release can still be avoided if human emissions are actively reduced.
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| 2. |
- Abd El-Daim, Islam Ahmed Moustafa, et al.
(author)
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Bacillus velezensis 5113 Induced Metabolic and Molecular Reprogramming during Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Wheat
- 2019
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abiotic stresses are main limiting factors for agricultural production around the world. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have been shown to improve abiotic stress tolerance in several plants. However, the molecular and physiological changes connected with PGPR priming of stress management are poorly understood. The present investigation aimed to explore major metabolic and molecular changes connected with the ability of Bacillus velezensis 5113 to mediate abiotic stress tolerance in wheat. Seedlings treated with Bacillus were exposed to heat, cold/freezing or drought stress. Bacillus improved wheat survival in all stress conditions. SPAD readings showed higher chlorophyll content in 5113-treated stressed seedlings. Metabolite profiling using NMR and ESI-MS provided evidences for metabolic reprograming in 5113-treated seedlings and showed that several common stress metabolites were significantly accumulated in stressed wheat. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of wheat leaves resolved more than 300 proteins of which several were differentially expressed between different treatments and that cold stress had a stronger impact on the protein pattern compared to heat and drought. Peptides maps or sequences were used for database searches which identified several homologs. The present study suggests that 5113 treatment provides systemic effects that involve metabolic and regulatory functions supporting both growth and stress management.
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| 3. |
- Abd El-Daim, Islam Ahmed Moustafa, et al.
(author)
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Identifying potential molecular factors involved in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 5113 mediated abiotic stress tolerance in wheat
- 2018
-
In: Plant Biology. - : Wiley. - 1435-8603 .- 1438-8677. ; 20, s. 271-279
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abiotic stressors are main limiting factors for agricultural production around the world. Plant growth-promoting bacteria have been successfully used to improve abiotic stress tolerance in several crops including wheat. However, the molecular changes involved in the improvement of stress management are poorly understood. The present investigation addressed some molecular factors involved in bacterially induced plant abiotic stress responses by identifying differentially expressed genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings treated with the beneficial bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum UCMB5113 prior to challenge with abiotic stress conditions such as heat, cold or drought. cDNA-AFLP analysis revealed differential expression of more than 200 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) in wheat leaves. Expression of selected TDFs was confirmed using RT-PCR. DNA sequencing of 31 differentially expressed TDFs revealed significant homology with both known and unknown genes in database searches. Virus-induced gene silencing of two abscisic acid-related TDFs showed different effects upon heat and drought stress. We conclude that treatment with B.amyloliquefaciens 5113 caused molecular modifications in wheat in order to induce tolerance against heat, cold and drought stress. Bacillus treatment provides systemic effects that involve metabolic and regulatory functions supporting both growth and stress management.
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| 4. |
- Abd El-Daim, Islam Ahmed Moustafa, et al.
(author)
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Paenibacillus polymyxa A26 Sfp-type PPTase inactivation limits bacterial antagonism against Fusarium graminearum but not of F. culmorum in kernel assay
- 2015
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In: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-462X. ; 6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum are the causing agents of a destructive disease known as Fusarium head blight (FHB). FHB is a re-emerging disease in small grain cereals which impairs both the grain yield and the quality. Most serious consequence is the contamination of grain with Fusarium mycotoxins that are severe threat to humans and animals. Biological control has been suggested as one of the integrated management strategies to control FHB. Paenibacillus polymyxa is considered as a promising biocontrol agent due to its unique antibiotic spectrum. P. polymyxa A26 is an efficient antagonistic agent against Fusarium spp. In order to optimize strain A26 production, formulation and application strategies traits important for its compatibility need to be revealed. Here we developed a toolbox, comprising of dual culture plate assays and wheat kernel assays, including simultaneous monitoring of FHB causing pathogens, A26, and mycotoxin production. Using this system we show that, besides generally known lipopeptide antibiotic production by P. polymyxa, biofilm formation ability may play a crucial role in the case of stain A26 F. culmorum antagonism. Application of the system for effective strain selection and maintenance is discussed.
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| 5. |
- Abd El-Daim, Islam Ahmed Moustafa
(author)
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Use of rhizobacteria for the alleviation of plant stress
- 2015
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are beneficial microbes able to induce plant stress tolerance and antagonise plant pathogens. The present study showed that wheat seedlings pre-treated with Bacillus thuringiensis AZP2 had better tolerance to severe drought stress and showed 78% greater plant biomass and five-fold higher survivorship compared to wheat seedlings not treated with the bacterium. The effect of B. thuringiensis AZP2 also resulted in improved net assimilation and reduced emission of stress volatiles. The study investigated the effect of the inactivation of sfp-type phosphopantetheinyl transferase in plant growth promoting bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa A26. The inactivation of the sfp gene resulted in loss of NRP/PK production such fusaricidins and polymyxins. In contrast to the former Bacillus spp. model the mutant strain compared to wild type showed greatly enhanced biofilm formation ability. Its biofilm promotion is directly mediated by NRP/PK, as exogenous addition of the wild type metabolite extracts restores its biofilm formation level. Further, increased biofilm formation was connected with enhanced ability of the sfp inactivated strain to remarkably protect wheat seedlings by improving its survival and biomass under severe drought stress conditions compared to wild type. Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum are the causing agents of a destructive disease known as Fusarium head blight (FHB). The disease is the leading cause of contamination of grain with Fusarium mycotoxins that are severe threat to humans and animals. Biological control has been suggested as one of the integrated management strategies to control FHB causing agents. The present study showed that P. polymyxa A26 is a potent antagonistic agent against F. graminearum and F. culmorum. In order to optimize strain A26 production, formulation and application strategies traits important for its compatibility need to be revealed. Hence, a toolbox comprising of dual culture plate assays and wheat kernel assays including simultaneous monitoring of the FHB causing pathogens, A26 and mycotoxins produced was developed in the present study. Using this system results showed that, besides the involvement of lipopeptide antibiotic production by P. polymyxa in the antagonism process, biofilm formation ability may play a crucial role in the case of A26 F. culmorum antagonism.
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| 6. |
- Abdollahi, Mehdi, 1985, et al.
(author)
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Tuning the pH-shift protein-isolation method for maximum hemoglobin-removal from blood rich fish muscle
- 2016
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In: Food Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-8146 .- 1873-7072. ; 212, s. 213-224
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A main challenge preventing optimal use of protein isolated from unconventional raw materials (e.g., small pelagic fish and fish by-products) using the pH-shift method is the difficulty to remove enough heme-pigments. Here, the distribution of hemoglobin (Hb) in the different fractions formed during pH-shift processing was studied using Hb-fortified cod mince. Process modifications, additives and prewashing were then investigated to further facilitate Hb-removal. The alkaline pH-shift process version could remove considerably more Hb (77%) compared to the acidic version (37%) when proteins were precipitated at pH 5.5; most Hb was removed during dewatering. Protein precipitation at pH 6.5 improved total Hb removal up to 91% and 74% during alkaline and acid processing, respectively. Adding phytic acid to the first supernatant of the alkaline process version yielded 93% Hb removal. Combining one prewash with phytic acid at pH 5.5 followed by alkaline/acid pH-shift processing increased Hb removal up to 96/92%.
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| 7. |
- Abebe Abiye, Shenkut, et al.
(author)
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Genetic diversity of five local Swedish chicken breeds detected by microsatellite markers
- 2015
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study aimed at investigating the genetic diversity, relationship and population structure of 110 local Swedish chickens derived from five breeds (Gotlandshona, Hedemorahona, Olandsk dvarghona, Skansk blommehona, and Bohuslan-Dals svarthona, in the rest of the paper the shorter name Svarthona is used) using 24 microsatellite markers. In total, one hundred thirteen alleles were detected in all populations, with a mean of 4.7 alleles per locus. For the five chicken breeds, the observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.225 to 0.408 and from 0.231 to 0.515, with the lowest scores for the Svarthona and the highest scores for the Skansk blommehona breeds, respectively. Similarly, the average within breed molecular kinship varied from 0.496 to 0.745, showing high coancestry, with Skansk blommehona having the lowest and Svarthona the highest coancestry. Furthermore, all breeds showed significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Across the five breeds, the global heterozygosity deficit (FIT) was 0.545, population differentiation index (F-ST) was 0.440, and the global inbreeding of individuals within breed (F-IS) was 0.187. The phylogenetic relationships of chickens were examined using neighbor-joining trees constructed at the level of breeds and individual samples. The neighbor-joining tree constructed at breed level revealed two main clusters, with Hedemorahona and Olandsk dvarghona breeds in one cluster, and Gotlandshona and Svarthona breeds in the second cluster leaving the Skansk blommehona in the middle. Based on the results of the STRUCTURE analysis, the most likely number of clustering of the five breeds was at K = 4, with Hedemorahona, Gotlandshona and Svarthona breeds forming their own distinct clusters, while Olandsk dvarghona and Skansk blommehona breeds clustered together. Losses in the overall genetic diversity of local Swedish chickens due to breeds extinction varied from -1.46% to -6.723%. The results of the current study can be used as baseline genetic information for genetic conservation program, for instance, to control inbreeding and to implement further genetic studies in local Swedish chickens.
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| 8. |
- Abedi, Tayebeh
(author)
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Constructed wetland modified by biochar/zeolite addition for enhanced wastewater treatment
- 2019
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In: Environmental technology & innovation. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-1864. ; 16
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wastewater treatment for water reuse has received considerable attention owing to water resource shortage. One of the most effective wastewater treatment methods involves the use of constructed wetlands (CWs). In this study, synthetic wastewater was treated by using a biochar/zeolite CW. Phragmites australis (common reed) was translocated into two cylinders (lysimeters) that serve as vertical subsurface flow CWs. One CW (CW1) contained gravels as substrate layer, whereas the other CW (CW2) contained three substrate layers, namely, biochar, zeolite, and gravel layers. Response surface methodology was used for statistical analysis. In this study, CW2 performed better in removing pollutants from wastewater than CW1. At optimum pH (6.3) and retention time (57.4 h), 99.9% (1000 mg/L) COD, 99.9% (1000 mg/L) ammonia, 99.9% (50 mg/L) phenols, 99.9% (50 mg/L) Pb, and 99.9% (50 mg/L) Mn were removed by CW2. During this research, nitrous oxide emission was lower in CW2 than in CW1. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Abeysinghe, Kasun S., et al.
(author)
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Mercury flow through an Asian rice-based food web
- 2017
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In: Environmental Pollution. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0269-7491 .- 1873-6424. ; 229, s. 219-228
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mercury (Hg) is a globally-distributed pollutant, toxic to humans and animals. Emissions are particularly high in Asia, and the source of exposure for humans there may also be different from other regions, including rice as well as fish consumption, particularly in contaminated areas. Yet the threats Asian wildlife face in rice-based ecosystems are as yet unclear. We sought to understand how Hg flows through rice-based food webs in historic mining and non-mining regions of Guizhou, China. We measured total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in soil, rice, 38 animal species (27 for MeHg) spanning multiple trophic levels, and examined the relationship between stable isotopes and Hg concentrations. Our results confirm biomagnification of THg/MeHg, with a high trophic magnification slope. Invertivorous songbirds had concentrations of THg in their feathers that were 15x and 3x the concentration reported to significantly impair reproduction, at mining and non-mining sites, respectively. High concentrations in specialist rice consumers and in granivorous birds, the later as high as in piscivorous birds,, suggest rice is a primary source of exposure. Spiders had the highest THg concentrations among invertebrates and may represent a vector through which Hg is passed to vertebrates, especially songbirds. Our findings suggest there could be significant population level health effects and consequent biodiversity loss in sensitive ecosystems, like agricultural wetlands, across Asia, and invertivorous songbirds would be good subjects for further studies investigating this possibility.
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| 10. |
- Abeysinghe, Kasun S., et al.
(author)
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Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations over a gradient of contamination in earthworms living in rice paddy soil
- 2017
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In: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 36:5, s. 1202-1210
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mercury (Hg) deposited from emissions or from local contamination, can have serious health effects on humans and wildlife. Traditionally, Hg has been seen as a threat to aquatic wildlife, because of its conversion in suboxic conditions into bioavailable methylmercury (MeHg), but it can also threaten contaminated terrestrial ecosystems. In Asia, rice paddies in particular may be sensitive ecosystems. Earthworms are soil-dwelling organisms that have been used as indicators of Hg bioavailability; however, the MeHg concentrations they accumulate in rice paddy environments are not well known. Earthworm and soil samples were collected from rice paddies at progressive distances from abandoned mercury mines in Guizhou, China, and at control sites without a history of Hg mining. Total Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations declined in soil and earthworms as distance increased from the mines, but the percentage of THg that was MeHg, and the bioaccumulation factors in earthworms, increased over this gradient. This escalation in methylation and the incursion of MeHg into earthworms may be influenced by more acidic soil conditions and higher organic content further from the mines. In areas where the source of Hg is deposition, especially in water-logged and acidic rice paddy soil, earthworms may biomagnify MeHg more than was previously reported. It is emphasized that rice paddy environments affected by acidifying deposition may be widely dispersed throughout Asia.
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