Life Sciences Commons^™

Fertilizer Management For Grass And Grass-Legume Mixtures, Richard Koenig, Mark Nelson, James Barnhill, Dean Miner

Associate Professor Mark Nelson

No abstract provided.

Biologically Active Dibenzofurans From Pilidiostigma Glabrum, An Endemic Australian Myrtaceae, Qing-Yao Shou, Linda Banbury, Dane Renshaw, Eleanore Lambley, Htwe Mon, Graham Macfarlane, Hans Griesser, Michael Heinrich, Hans Wohlmuth

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

In an effort to identify new anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents with potential application in wound healing, five new dibenzofurans, 1,3,7,9-tetrahydroxy-2,8-dimethyl-4,6-di(2-methylbutanoyl)dibenzofuran (1), 1,3,7,9-tetrahydroxy-2,8-dimethyl-4-(2-methylbutanoyl)-6-(2-methylpropionyl)dibenzofuran (2), 1,3,7,9-tetrahydroxy-2,8-dimethyl-4,6-di(2-methylpropionyl)dibenzofuran (3), 1,3,7,9-tetrahydroxy-4,6-dimethyl-2-(2-methylbutanoyl)-8-(2-methylpropionyl)dibenzofuran (4), and 1,3,7,9-tetrahydroxy-4,6-dimethyl-2,8-di(2-methylpropionyl)dibenzofuran (5), were isolated from the leaves of Pilidiostigma glabrum together with one previously described dibenzofuran. Structure elucidation was achieved by way of spectroscopic measurements including 2D-NMR spectroscopy. Compounds with 2,8-acyl substitutions had potent antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive strains (MIC in the low micromolar range), while compounds with 4,6-acyl substitutions were less active. All compounds except 3 inhibited the synthesis of …

Factors Affecting Pharmacists Recommendation Of Complementary Medicines: A Qualitative Study Of Australian Pharmacists, Sarah Culverhouse, Hans Wohlmuth

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Background

Complementary medicines (CMs) are widely used by the Australian public, and pharmacies are major suppliers of these medicines. The integration of CMs into pharmacy practice is well documented, but the behaviours of pharmacists in recommending CMs to customers are less well studied. This study reports on factors that influence whether or not pharmacists in Australia recommend CMs to their customers.

Methods

Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with twelve practicing pharmacists based in Brisbane, Australia. The qualitative data were analysed by thematic analysis.

Results

The primary driver of the recommendation of CMs was a desire to provide a health …

Plant Classification And Nomenclature In Ndumba, Papua New Guinea Highlands, Terence Hays

Terence Hays

Traditionally, the terms "ethnobotany" and "ethnozoology" have designated little more than the study of plant and animal utilization. In the past two decades, however, the ways in which the components of given biological environments are locally perceived and categorized have received increasing attention. Not only has the study of ethnobiological classification been recognized as essential to a wide variety of ethnographic concerns (cf. Frake 1962; Bulmer 1967), but the discovery of possible universals in folk classification systems promises to enrich our understanding of human cognitive processes as well (Berlin et al. 1973; Brown 1977).

The paucity of comprehensive studies of …

Uses Of Wild Plants In Ndumba, Eastern Highlands Province, Terence Hays

Terence Hays

For Papua New Guineans,l as well as for those who wish to understand them better, traiditional knowledge of the local natural environment is a priceless resource. In the face of increasing commitments to a cash economy, however, many communities are rapidly losing their awareness and appreciation of the rich animal and plant worlds which are immediately available to them. As Powell has recently observed (1976), the recorded information regarding traditional plant knowledge and uses has tended to be widely-scattered in the literature and relatively difficult to access, especially for those who stand to benefit the most from it. A recent …

Phylogenomics And A Posteriori Data Partitioning Resolve The Cretaceous Angiosperm Radiation Malpighiales, Zhenxiang Xi, Brad Ruhfel, Hanno Schaefer, André Amorim, M. Sugumaran, Kenneth Wurdack, Peter Endress, Merran Matthews, Peter Stevens, Sarah Mathews, Charles Davis

Brad R. Ruhfel

The angiosperm order Malpighiales includes ∼16,000 species and constitutes up to 40% of the understory tree diversity in tropical rain forests. Despite remarkable progress in angiosperm systematics during the last 20 y, relationships within Malpighiales remain poorly resolved, possibly owing to its rapid rise during the mid-Cretaceous. Using phylogenomic approaches, including analyses of 82 plastid genes from 58 species, we identified 12 additional clades in Malpighiales and substantially increased resolution along the backbone. This greatly improved phylogeny revealed a dynamic history of shifts in net diversification rates across Malpighiales, with bursts of diversification noted in the Barbados cherries (Malpighiaceae), cocas …

Purification And Characterization Of Novel Nucleases From A Thermophilic Fungus, Kyle Landry

Kyle S Landry

A thermophilic fungus was isolated from composted horse manure. The organism was as a Chaetomium sp. by sequencing the highly conserved ITS region of the fungus and comparing to known regions in a genomic database and was referred to as TM-417. TM-417 was found to have an optimal growth temperature of 45 ^oC and an optimal pH of 7.0. An extracellular DNase and RNase was found to be produced by the isolate and were purified 145.58-fold and 127.6-fold respectively using a combination of size exclusion chromatography and a novel affinity membrane purification system. The extent of purification was determined …

Bean Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Abundance In Soybean Fields Protected And Unprotected By Shelterbelts, Stephen Danielson, James Brandle, Laurie Hodges, P. Srinivas

Laurie Hodges

The bean leaf beetle, Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a major insect pest of soybean in Nebraska and throughout much of the Midwest. This insect overwinters in the adult stage in litter in wooded areas such as shelterbelts. Historically, crop producers have been unsure of the merits of shelterbelts, especially if nearby crops are more likely to be infested by insect pests as a result. In this study, bean leaf beetle adults were sampled during the season by visually counting the number of beetles found on soybean plants early in the season and by sweep net sampling once plants …

Effects Of Glyphosate On Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium Corymbosum L.), Laurie Hodges, Ronald Talbert, J. Moore

Laurie Hodges

Five-year-old 'Collins' highbush blueberries were treated in August with glyphosate (N-phosphonomethyl glycine) at 0.36, 3.6 and 7.2 g/liter acid equivalent as a spot treatment alone or with pruning or applying paraquat (1, 1'-dimethyl-4, 4'-bipyridinium ion) at 1.2 g/liter to remove green tissue prior to glyphosate application. Initial response was terminal dieback of young canes. Symptoms the following spring included additional terminal dieback, leaf and cane morphological aberrations, and elongation of the flower corolla. One year after treatment, regrowth was normal. There was no effect on blueberry yield the season following treatment.

Chemical Constituents From Fritillaria Anhuiensis, Qing-Yao Shou, Hans Wohlmuth, X He, Lei Liu, Zhengwu Shen

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Phytochemical investigation on Fritillaria anhuiensis led to the isolation of one new labdane diterpenoid (12) 14(RS),15-dihydroxy-8(17),12(E)-labdadien-19-oic-acid and 26 known compounds (1–11, 13–27). Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of their spectral data with those reported in the literature. Fourteen known compounds (4, 5, 7–11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 22–24) were isolated from F. anhuiensis for the first time, and five of them (10, 11, 13, 23, 24) are reported from the family Liliaceae for the first time. Some of the compounds identified in the present investigation may have chemotaxonomic value at the generic …

Chemical Composition And Antioxidant And Anticandidal Activities Of Essential Oils From Different Wild Moroccan Thymus Species, Chaima Jamali, Leila El Bouzidi, Khalid Bekkouche, Hassani Lahcen, Mohammed Markouk, Hans Wohlmuth, David Leach, Abdelaziz Abbad

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Samples of the aerial parts of Thymus broussonetii, T. ciliatus, T. leptobotrys, T. maroccanus, T. pallidus, T. satureioides, and T. serpyllum collected from different natural regions in southern and south-western Morocco were analyzed for their qualitative and quantitative essential oil profiles. In total, 46 compounds, representing more than 99% of the oils, were characterized. Monoterpenes, both hydrocarbons (12.9–58.0%) and oxygenated monoterpenes (38.8–81.1%), were the principal classes of compounds for most of the thyme species studied. Cluster analysis allowed the classification of the species into three main groups: a carvacrol group (Group I), comprising the species T. maroccanus …

A Combined Phase I And Ii Open-Label Study On The Immunomodulatory Effects Of Seaweed Extract Nutrient Complex, Stephen Myers, Joan O'Connor, J Helen Fitton, Lyndon Brooks, Margaret Rolfe, Paul Connellan, Hans Wohlmuth, Phillip Cheras, Carol Morris

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Background: Isolated fucoidans from brown marine algae have been shown to have a range of immune-modulating effects. This exploratory study aimed to determine whether a seaweed nutrient complex containing a blend of extracts from three different species of brown algae plus nutrients is safe to administer and has biological potential as an immune modulator. The study was undertaken as an open-label combined Phase I and II study. Methods: Participants (n = 10) were randomized to receive the study medication at either a 100 mg (n = 5) or 1000 mg (n = 5) dose over 4 weeks. The primary outcome …

An In Vitro Investigation Of Herbs Traditionally Used For Kidney And Urinary System Disorders: Potential Therapeutic And Toxic Effects, Ken Wojcikowski, Hans Wohlmuth, David Johnson, Margaret Rolfe, Glenda Gobe

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Aim: Renal fibrosis is central to progression of most chronic renal pathologies. Antioxidants that protect the tubular epithelium and anti-fibrotics that induce apoptosis of pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts without adversely affecting tubular epithelium may slow progression of renal fibrosis, while toxic substances may exacerbate renal scarring. We investigated 47 herbs for their in vitro toxic or antioxidant effects on normal renal mammalian fibroblasts (NRK49F) and tubular epithelial cells (NRK52E) to determine their potential value as therapeutic agents in renal fibrosis involving oxidative stress. Methods: Herbs were chosen because of their traditional use in kidney or urinary system disorders, or because of recent …

Extreme Environments Select For Reproductive Assurance: Evidence From Evening Primroses (Oenothera), Margaret Evans, David Hearn, Kathryn Theiss, Karen Cranston, Kent Holsinger, Michael Donoghue

Kent E Holsinger

• Competing evolutionary forces shape plant breeding systems (e.g. inbreeding depression, reproductive assurance). Which of these forces prevails in a given population or species is predicted to depend upon such factors as life history, eco- logical conditions, and geographical context. Here, we examined two such predictions: that self-compatibility should be associated with the annual life history or extreme climatic conditions.

• We analyzed data from a clade of plants remarkable for variation in breeding system, life history and climatic conditions (Oenothera, sections Anogra and Kleinia, Onagraceae). We used a phylogenetic comparative approach and Bayesian or hybrid Bayesian tests to account …

Farm-Scale Production Cost Of Switchgrass For Biomass, Richard Perrin, Kenneth P. Vogel, Marty Schmer, Robert B. Mitchell

Richard K Perrin

The economic potential of cellulosic biomass from switchgrass has heretofore been evaluated using estimates of farm costs based on extrapolation from experimental data and budget estimates. The objective of the project reported here was to estimate the cost of production that would be experienced by farmers on commercial production situations. Switchgrass was produced as a biomass crop on commercial-scale fields by ten contracting farmers located from northern North Dakota to southern Nebraska. Results showed a wide range of yields and costs across the five production years and ten sites, with an overall average cost of $65.86 Mg^-1 of biomass …

Forisome Performance In Artificial Sieve Tubes, Michael Knoblauch, Mike Stubenrauch, Aart J.E. Van Bel, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Laboratory Method To Estimate Rain-Induced Splitting In Cultivated Blueberries, Kenneth Curry

Kenneth J. Curry

Preharvest rainfall that occurs when fruit are fully ripe or approaching full ripeness can result in detrimental fruit splitting in rabbiteve and southern highbush blueberries. This study was initiated to develop a laboratory method to model rain-related incidence of splitting in cultivated blueberries with the goal of predicting the incidence of splitting in blueberry cultivars and selections. Multiyear field surveys of rabbiteye and southern highbush cultivars show that the incidence of rain-related splitting is strongly cultiva-dependent. Laboratory values for forced splitting and naturally occurring rain-related field splitting data show a strong correlation indicating that the incidence of fruit splitting can …

Effect Of Cercosporella Rubi On Blackberry Floral Bud Development, Kenneth Curry

Kenneth J. Curry

Rosette, caused by the fungus Cercosporella rubi, is an important blackberry disease in the southeastern United States. This disease severely reduces fruit production, and its management has been erratic due to a limited understanding of the host-pathogen relationship. In this study, we expand on previous histological investigations of the development of C. rubi on blackberry at tissue and cellular levels from floral bud initiation through senescence of the flower. Symptomatic and asymptomatic floral buds were examined with light microscopy and both scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively). Fungal development on the surface of floral buds was …

Improved Microassays Used To Test Natural Product-Based And Conventional Fungicides On Plant Pathogenic Fungi, Kenneth Curry

Kenneth J. Curry

Interpretive Summary: New effective fungicides are needed to control fungal pathogens that have developed resistance to currently used fungicides or to replace fungicides that have lost their registration for use on certain crops. Natural products are one source of these new fungicides. Prospective new fungicides are screened in vitro to identify products which inhibit germination of fungal conidia or prevent normal growth of fungal hyphae. In this paper we established standard conditions that improved the in vitro micro titer assays used in the initial screening of natural products as potential fungicides. The simple step of washing fungal spores prior to …

The Effect Of Light Intensity On Seed Production And Quality In A Number Of Australian Wild Oat (Avena Fatua L.) Lines, Steve Adkins, Leisa Armstrong

Leisa Armstrong

Several aspects of the maternal environment (e.g. air temperature, soil moisture, soil nutritional status and photoperiod) are known to influence seed production and quality in a range of plant species. However, little is known about the effect of other environmental factors, such as the light intensity perceived by the developing plant, on these seed characters. This is particularly important when elucidating the persistence mechanisms of annual weeds that may produce seeds under a crop canopy. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect of light intensity on the reproductive characteristics of a number of wild oat …