Search

Ian Campbell’s trilingual poem series explores the Acacia genus, Australia’s national floral emblem, across English, Spanish, and Indonesian. Inspired by Campbell’s family history and A.J. Campbell’s 1921 Golden Wattle – Our National Floral Emblem, the series examines the cultural and ecological significance of Acacia in Australia, Latin America, and Indonesia. Each version reflects linguistic and regional nuances, showcasing how the essence of a shared theme transforms across languages.

Acacia (the wattles) is the largest genus of plants in Australia and its species occupy almost every habitat in the country. Hard galls on the branches, phyllodes and flower parts of wattle trees were noticed from the very early days of British colonisation, but their causes were unknown. Some insects were believed to be involved, but they were not the only cause of wattle galls. In 1889, the Italian mycologist Pier Andrea Saccardo described the rust fungus Uromyces tepperianus from the galls on Acacia salicina , and later, the Victorian government vegetable pathologist, Daniel McAlpine transferred the species tepperianus to his new genus Uromycladium which also included six new species. A total of 28 valid species of Uromycladium , most endemic to Australia, are currently described. Several species of Uromycladium were somehow introduced into South Africa and countries in southeast Asia where they cause significant losses in Acacia plantations, while others are used as biocontrol agents for invasive Acacia species. Short biographies of two of the early collectors of rust galls, the South Australian naturalist and later entomologist Johann Gottlieb Otto Tepper and the Victorian plant pathologist Charles Clifton Brittlebank are also presented. The wattles (Acacia species) are an ancient and iconic Australian genus of trees and shrubs which form part of the identity of the nation. Galls were a common feature on wattle trees, initially being attributed to the activity of some insects, but later a genus of rust fungi, Uromycladium , was found to also cause galls. The lives of two of the early collectors of wattle rust galls, Otto Tepper and Charles Brittlebank, are also illuminated in this paper. Photograph by Alastair McTaggart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa has 1.2 million hectares of plantations developed progressively through the 20th century. These occur from 23° to 34°S, from near sea level to 2 000 m above sea level and in both Mediterranean winter rainfall and summer subtropical rainfall climates. Plantations supply pulp mills, sawmills, treated pole and mining timber production, and wattle tannin production. The diversity of sites and markets requires planting of a range of taxa of pine, eucalypt and wattle. A survey of planted area by taxa in South African forest plantations is reported and compared to statistics available from national annual reporting on the commercial timber resources in the country. The survey found a similar number of taxa are currently planted (15) as in the 1950s but only 6 of the earlier options remain in use. Changes have occurred in the last 30 years, with 40% of planted area in 2019 using options not available before 1990. From the 1990s, Eucalyptus grandis has been extensively replaced by eucalypt hybrids and E. dunnii and Pinus elliottii × P. caribaea var. hondurensis has become an important pine planting option. Over the past decade, E. nitens replacement with other existing frost tolerant eucalypt planting options has occurred, use of P. radiata has reduced and P. patula has been replaced on a significant scale with P. patula hybrids. Many of these changes have been to mitigate the impact of new pests and pathogens and, on lower productivity sites, periodic severe droughts. However, the new planting options also provide increased yields and have wood properties acceptable to the intended markets. Meeting all three criteria is likely to remain a requirement for successful introduction of future new planting options. The survey indicates a need to revise current national reporting requirements to better reflect use of species and hybrids in South African plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In domestic goats, wattles often appear in even numbers, mostly on the neck and a few under the ear. Goat wattle is composed of ectopic cartilage tissue covered by skin and was reported as a dominant inheritance. Thirty‐eight goats from two Southwest Chinese breeds were studied to elucidate the genetic basis of wattle phenotype in goat. Their genomes were sequenced for wide‐genome selective sweep analysis (WGSA) and a genome‐wide association study (GWAS). The WGSA results revealed 500 candidate genes identified by fixation index and π ratio and 261 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways enriched with 195 genes and 38 significantly enriched KEGG items. In particular, three chondrogenesis‐related pathways (Wnt, Hippo and MAPK signaling pathways) were found. Among the 500 genes, 474 were enriched to 2855 Gene Ontology items, and four (BMP2, BMP4, RARA and MSX1) were annotated in the regulation and development of chondrogenesis. Four chondrogenesis‐related genes (GREM1, NEDD4, ATG7 and ITGA1) were identified from 519 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a GWAS above the threshold. Six and 11 SNPs on chromosome 10 are located on GREM1 and NEDD4 respectively, and the highest numbers of SNPs on chromosomes 20 and 22 are located on ITGA1 and ATG7 respectively. All of these genes are related to cartilage development. This study identified a series of genes related to chondroplasia by GWAS and WGSA and presented the possibility that wattle inheritance may be influenced by multiple genes. This work provides a new theoretical understanding of the hereditary basis of wattle phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The midstorey is a critical structural component of many forests globally. Using statistical models, we quantified the influence of two sets of variables on the percentage cover and basal area of two dominant Acacia spp. (Montane Wattle [Acacia frigescens] and Silver Wattle [Acacia dealbata]) in the midstorey of Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests in mainland south‐eastern Australia. Specifically, we focused on the influence of (1) the age of the overstorey eucalypts (corresponding to the time since the last stand‐replacing disturbance), and (2) environmental drivers (aspect, topographic wetness index, slope, elevation). We found evidence for generally non‐linear relationships between stand age and the percentage cover and the basal area of both Silver Wattle and Montane Wattle. Silver Wattle had the highest values for percentage cover, and Montane Wattle the lowest, in stands regenerating from fire in 2009. The basal area of Silver Wattle was highest in stands that regenerated after the 2009 wildfires and after disturbance that occurred between 1960 and 1990s. For Montane Wattle, basal area was lowest in stands that regenerated in 2009 but values did not differ among stands of other ages. Both Acacia species were a midstorey component in old‐growth Mountain Ash forest. No environmental covariates influenced the percentage cover of Montane Wattle or Silver Wattle. However, our model for the basal area of Montane Wattle contained evidence of a positive relationship with topographic wetness. The general paucity of environmental drivers in most of the models we constructed is likely due to the fact that both tree species occur well beyond our study region. Hence, the set of environmental conditions modelled may not be limiting the percentage cover or basal area of these midstorey tree species. Disturbance appears to be the key driver of dynamics of Montane Wattle and Silver Wattle in Mountain Ash forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Arquitectura (1657-0308) is the property of Universidad Catolica de Columbia, Facultad de Arquitectura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wattle length, width, and area were measured to classify bilateral asymmetries in four lines of chickens. The lines were the S26 generation of White Leghorns selected for high (HAS) or low (LAS) response to sheep red blood cells and sublines in which selection had been relaxed for three generations (high antibody relaxed [HAR] and low antibody relaxed [LAR]). Antibody titers (AB) were greater for HAS than for HAR with both greater than for LAS and LAR which while different for males did not differ for females. The low antibody lines were heavier and reached sexual maturity at younger age than the high antibody lines. In general, wattle length, width, and area were greater in the low than high antibody lines. In 24 comparisons for bilaterality 18 exhibited fluctuating asymmetry and 6 exhibited directional asymmetry with 5 of the 6 being for wattle length. There was not a clear pattern for changes in degree of asymmetry when selection was relaxed for 3 generations. For females, the relative asymmetry (RA) of wattle area was larger (p≤0.05) for HAR than for LAR and not different from the selected lines and relaxed lines. There were no differences among lines for RA of wattle length and width of females and wattle length, width, and area of males.

• Streamflow is generated more quickly in grasslands invaded by exotic plants during extreme rain and may contribute to floods. • Canopy cover, antecedent moisture and drainage density determine magnitude of rainfall-runoff response during extreme events. • Hydrologic footprint of exotic invasive plants such as wattle have consequences for ecosystems and human well-being. Invasive trees in catchments around the world are a source of concern due to their hydrological and ecological impacts. A large number of studies have focused on their impact on dry-season stream discharge due to enhanced transpiration. The impact of invasive trees on stream discharge and flood risk during extreme rain events, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change, has not been addressed adequately. We examined the influence of land-cover, canopy cover, and other catchment morphological characteristics on stream discharges in hilly catchments during light, heavy, and extreme rain events. Three years of rainfall-runoff observations, between January 2014 and December 2016, were collected in eleven neighbouring mountainous catchments in Nilgiris, South India. Each catchment had a distinct land cover, namely shola forests, montane grasslands, and catchments invaded by wattle (Acacia mearnsii). Hourly rain intensities between the percentiles 25–90, 90–95 and over 95 were categorised as light, heavy and extreme respectively, and were used to study hourly peak stream discharge responses. We compared discharge between native grassland catchments and grassland catchments invaded by wattle. Discharge rates were corrected for the catchment area. We found that land cover and canopy-cover influenced the hydrologic response to extreme rain events. Regression models with flood event as the response variable suggested an increase in rainfall-runoff response with an increase in canopy cover. The maximum hourly discharge observed in the reference grassland catchment (0.00098 mm s−1) was lower than the maximum discharge observed in low density (0.00529 mm s−1) and high density (0.00497 mm s−1) wattle catchments. At higher discharges, the flood magnitude in wattle invaded catchments was much greater than that in the grassland catchment for a given flood frequency – indicating a higher risk of severe flooding in wattle-dominated catchments. We attribute the enhanced flood discharges to the effects of spreading wattle roots on the enhancement of rapid, shallow sub-surface flows in invaded catchments. Catchments dominated by shallow sub-surface flows are known to have reduced water retention times in response to high rain intensities. Antecedent moisture conditions and drainage density were other factors that influenced the local rainfall-runoff relationships. In the Western Ghats and other parts of India grasslands have been planted with exotic woody trees, and some have become invasive. Our study indicates that replacing grasslands with woody plants at landscape scales, could affect hydrological processes and could increase flood risks during the monsoon, especially in mountainous regions. Management of invaded catchments by regulation of wattle and restoration of semi-natural grassland, combined with the installation of early warning systems in these impacted areas will help reduce flood risk during extreme rain under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Click chemistry approaches are tailored to generate molecular building blocks quickly and reliably by joining small units together selectively and covalently, stably and irreversibly. The vegetable tannins such as hydrolyzable and condensed tannins are capable to produce rather stable radicals or inhibit the progress of radicals and are prone to oxidations such as photo and auto-oxidation, and their anti-oxidant nature is well known. A lot remains to be done to understand the extent of the variation of leather stability, color variation (lightening and darkening reaction of leather), and poor resistance to water uptake for prolonged periods. In the present study, we have reported click chemistry approaches to accelerated vegetable tanning processes based on periodates catalyzed formation of oxidized hydrolysable and condensed tannins for high exhaustion with improved properties. The distribution of oxidized vegetable tannin, the thermal stability such as shrinkage temperature ( T) and denaturation temperature ( T), resistance to collagenolytic activities, and organoleptic properties of tanned leather as well as the evaluations of eco-friendly characteristics were investigated. Scanning electron microscopic analysis indicates the cross section of tightness of the leather. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis shows that the T of leather is more than that of vegetable tanned or equal to aldehyde tanned one. The leathers exhibited fullness, softness, good color, and general appearance when compared to non-oxidized vegetable tannin. The developed process benefits from significant reduction in total solids and better biodegradability in the effluent, compared to non-oxidized vegetable tannins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Seed dormancy enhances fitness by preventing seeds from germinating when the probability of seedling survival and recruitment is low. The onset of physical dormancy is sensitive to humidity during ripening; however, the implications of this mechanism for seed bank dynamics have not been quantified. This study proposes a model that describes how humidity-regulated dormancy onset may control the accumulation of a dormant seed bank, and seed experiments are conducted to calibrate the model for an Australian Fabaceae, Acacia saligna. The model is used to investigate the impact of climate on seed dormancy and to forecast the ecological implications of human-induced climate change. Methods The relationship between relative humidity and dormancy onset was quantified under laboratory conditions by exposing freshly matured non-dormant seeds to constant humidity levels for fixed durations. The model was field-calibrated by measuring the response of seeds exposed to naturally fluctuating humidity. The model was applied to 3-hourly records of humidity spanning the period 1972–2007 in order to estimate both temporal variability in dormancy and spatial variability attributable to climatic differences among populations. Climate change models were used to project future changes in dormancy onset. Key Results A sigmoidal relationship exists between dormancy and humidity under both laboratory and field conditions. Seeds ripened under field conditions became dormant following very short exposure to low humidity (<20 %). Prolonged exposure at higher humidity did not increase dormancy significantly. It is predicted that populations growing in a temperate climate produce 33–55 % fewer dormant seeds than those in a Mediterranean climate; however, dormancy in temperate populations is predicted to increase as a result of climate change. Conclusions Humidity-regulated dormancy onset may explain observed variation in physical dormancy. The model offers a systematic approach to modelling this variation in population studies. Forecast changes in climate have the potential to alter the seed bank dynamics of species with physical dormancy regulated by this mechanism, with implications for their capacity to delay germination and exploit windows for recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out to evaluate the secondary sexual characteristics of four strains of cocks, comprising of two (2) exotics; Bovan Nera Black (BNB) and Isa Brown (ISB), one (1) improved local strain, Shika Brown (SB) and one (1) unimproved local strain, normal feathered cock (NFC). A total of 64 birds (16 for each strain) at 36, 38, 40 and 42 weeks were used for the study. The result indicated that shank length, comb length, comb width, wattle length and wattle width were all significantly (P<0.001) affected by strains, with the exotic strains being superior to the local cocks. Age ? strain interactions were also found to be significant. Phenotypic correlations between the secondary sexual characters were found to be significantly high and positive. The correlation between the secondary sexual characters and semen characteristics showed that shank length, wattle length and width, comb length and width had a positive correlation with semen volume (r=0.123, 0.335, 0.195 and 0.408 and 0.348 P<0.01), total sperm count (r=0.202, 0.300, 0.188, 0.403 and 0.320 P<0.05) and normal sperm (r=0.175, 0.143, 0.026, 0.155 and 0.065 P<0.05) respectively. Shank length has a positive correlation with sperm motility (0.010) and dead sperm (0.026), but a negative correlation with live spermatozoa. The result of this study shows a considerable similarity among the strains of cocks with respect to secondary sexual traits. Therefore, it may be inferred from this study that length of shank, comb and wattle are good predictors of semen attributes in male chickens. Selecting cocks with larger shank length, comb and wattle size can improve the semen quality and subsequently, results to higher fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word 'fence' is used here generically to denote any structure created to prevent or impede movement across the countryside. They ought to have been absent from forests, where obstructions to the free passage of deer and hunters were forbidden by forest law, which in principle, therefore, preserved open countryside. The patchwork of settlements and enclosed private fields of the characteristic English landscape could not emerge until disafforestation got rid of forest law. However, hunting required fences, and so did the preservation and management of deer so that they were available to be hunted. Growing crops abutting forests could be fenced from deer, and the statutory protection of common rights and coppices in forests required the careful regulation of areas available for fuel gathering, domestic animal grazing and wood production: whilst deer were allowed almost complete freedom of movement inside forests, commoners' animals were not; some areas were temporarily closed even to deer; some were open to deer but not commoners' animals, whilst others were accessible to both, but only at particular times. Far from being 'wildscapes', forests were common-pool resource systems where the exercise of different sets of rights over the same area of land by different people required complex systems of fencing. Some were unique to forests, and generally they differed from fences where enclosure allowed the management of land for private profit by individual owners with sole rights over its use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-zone warming of trees can result in an increase in biomass production but the mechanisms for this increase may differ between evergreen and deciduous species. The leaf gas exchange, carbohydrate and nitrogen (N) partitioning of two Australian evergreens, Acacia saligna and Eucalyptus cladocalyx, were compared to the deciduous Populus deltoides and Acer negundo after exposure to cool or warm soil during spring. The warm treatment stimulated aboveground biomass production in all four species; however, the form of this increase was species dependent. Compared with the evergreens, soluble sugars were mobilised from the above- and belowground components to a greater extent in the deciduous species, especially during root-zone warming. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration were increased in the warm soil treatment for the two evergreens and P. deltoides only. In P. deltoides and A. saligna the new fine roots contained greater starch concentrations when grown in warm soil but only in A. negundo was new root growth greater. Compared with the other three species, the leguminous A. saligna contained the highest N and most of this was concentrated in the phyllodes of warmed plants with no apparent mobilisation from the existing biomass. In the other evergreen, E. cladocalyx, the existing leaves and stems were a N source for new growth, while in the two deciduous species N was derived from the woody components and structural roots. These data show that the carbohydrate movement and N partitioning patterns in response to soil warming differ between perennial and deciduous plants and are likely responsible for the different forms of biomass accumulation in each of these species. Understanding environmental factors such as soil temperature on the growth of Acacias and Eucalypts is crucial to predicting how these Australian plants may adapt to a changing climate. We exposed the golden wreath wattle and the bushy sugar gum to warm soil during spring and development was compared to two North American deciduous species. We found that the Australian evergreens had unique patterns of carbon and nutrient partitioning between the below- and aboveground portions and therefore they are likely to have distinct growth responses to a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The « bourrine » is the name given to a building of earth construction with its roof thatched in reeds. It bears witness to the optimal use of the natural resources of the region where it is found, the marshes of the Monts in the Vendée. It is an ancient type of construction, attested since the 14th century. The walls were made of « bigôts », a local word for the wattle-type construction of earth and straw, and the roof was in thatching. Their builders thus made good use of the soil and the reeds of the marshes. The « bourrine » satisfied the dwelling needs of the most modest sections of society, which often installed them by the roadside where they found room for the houses and their outbuildings.

Background: The influence of introduction history and post-introduction dynamics on genetic diversity and structure has been a major research focus in invasion biology. However, genetic diversity and structure in the invasive range can also be affected by human-mediated processes in the native range prior to species introductions, an aspect often neglected in invasion biology. Here we aim to trace the native provenance of the invasive tree Acacia pycnantha by comparing the genetic diversity and structure between populations in the native Australian range and the invasive range in South Africa. This approach also allowed us to explore how human actions altered genetic structure before and after the introduction of A. pycnantha into South Africa. We hypothesized that extensive movement and replanting in A. pycnantha's Australian range prior to its introduction to South Africa might result in highly admixed genotypes in the introduced range, comparable genetic diversity in both ranges, and therefore preclude an accurate determination of native provenance(s) of invasive populations. Results: In the native range Bayesian assignment tests identified three genetic clusters with substantial admixture and could not clearly differentiate previously identified genetic entities, corroborating admixture as a result of replantings within Australia. Assignment tests that included invasive populations from South Africa indicated similar levels of admixture compared to Australian populations and a lack of genetic structure. Invasive populations of A. pycnantha in South Africa are as genetically diverse as native populations, and could not be assigned to particular native range regions. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the genetic structure of A. pycnantha in Australia has been greatly altered through various planting initiatives. Specifically, there is little geographic structure and high levels of admixture. While numerous introduction history scenarios may explain the levels of admixture observed in South Africa, planting records of A. pycnantha in Australia suggest that populations were probably already admixed before propagules were introduced to South Africa. These findings have important implications for the management of invasive A. pycnantha populations in South Africa, especially for classical biological control, and more broadly, for studies that aim to understand the evolutionary dynamics of the invasion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian ecotones in the fynbos biome of South Africa are heavily invaded by woody invasive alien species, which are known to reduce water supply to downstream environments. To explore whether variation in species-specific functional traits pertaining to drought-tolerance exist, we investigated wood anatomical traits of key native riparian species and the invasive Acacia mearnsii across different water availability proxies. Wood density, vessel resistance against implosion, vessel lumen diameter and vessel wall thickness were measured. Wood density varied significantly between species, with A. mearnsii having denser wood at sites in rivers with high discharge. As higher wood density is indicative of increased drought tolerance and typical of drier sites, this counter-intuitive finding suggests that increased wood density was more closely related to midday water stress, than streamflow quantity per se. Wood density was positively correlated with vessel resistance against implosion. Higher wood density may also be evidence that A. mearnsii is more resistant against drought-induced cavitation than the studied native species. The observed plastic response of A. mearnsii anatomical traits to variable water availability indicates the ability of this species to persist under various environmental conditions. A possible non-causal relationship between wood anatomy and drought tolerance in these riparian systems is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protease inhibitors (PIs) from raw wattle ( Acacia victoriae) seeds as well as phenolic extracts from raw and roasted wattle seeds were analysed for antioxidant, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antitumor and insecticidal activities. Progressive purification of the PIs resulted in increases in their ACE inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity, but decreases in antioxidant activity. Roasting of wattle seed significantly increased the antioxidant activity of the phenolic extracts as did alkaline hydrolysis of wattle seed flour, but the treatment destroyed their ACE inhibitory activity and reduced the level of cytotoxicity. A moderate degree of synergism between the PIs and phenolic extracts of wattle seed was observed for ACE inhibition activity, but not for antioxidant activity or cytotoxicity. Wattle seed PIs exhibited moderate cytotoxicity, but did not possess any significant antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antitumour or insecticidal activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cut Rosa hybrida cv. High & Mighty flowers and Acacia holosericea (Velvet Leaf Wattle) foliage were subjected to various physical stem-end treatments as practised by florists. Their effects on longevity (vase life) and water relations [relative fresh weight (RFW) and vase solution uptake (VSU)] were quantified. All vase water contained sodium dichloroisocyanurate (DICA) biocide. Bark removal had either positive or neutral effects on the vase life of fresh-cut rose and had either neutral or negative effects on fresh-cut acacia. Stem-end splitting had either no or negative effects on the vase life of fresh-cut rose and acacia. However, both bark removal and stem-end splitting increased the vase life of both species when applied after short term storage for 24h at 4°C. Crushing stems had no effect on the vase life of fresh-cut rose, but tends to increase the vase life of fresh-cut acacia. Hot water scalding either increased or had no effect on the vase lives of rose and acacia. The tendency for bark removal to increase vase life of fresh-cut rose was associated with better maintenance of RFW and sustained VSU. However, for the most part, stem-end treatments had typically negative or neutral effects on RFW of fresh-cut rose and acacia. Likewise, the treatments had mostly negative or neutral effects on VSU. Overall for both species, there is little or no benefit and potentially negative effects on vase life, RFW and VSU of applying stem-end treatments as sometimes advocated by florists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the history of South African forestry, with particular emphasis given to the country's forestry department's efforts in planting alien trees throughout grassland ecosystems. The author examines the history of tree planting and botanical gardens in the country, beginning with the establishment of the Dutch East India Company's garden in Cape Town, South Africa. While the efforts of the forestry department were effective, the author explains the importance of private plantations of eucalyptus and acacia trees, which were used to support the mining industry and wattle bark market, in the spread of trees throughout the grasslands. The negative effects of tree planting on the nation's water supply are detailed, as are subsequent deforestation efforts.

A horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HSSFCW) was employed to remove tannins from the effluent of a tannins extracting company. Two HSSFCW cells with hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 9 d and packed with limestone were used. One cell without macrophytes was used as a control, while the second cell was planted with Phragmites mauritianus. Results indicated that HSSFCW was capable of treating tannin wastewater that has been seeded with primary facultative pond sludge. Tannins and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of 95.9% and 90.6% with outlet concentration of 27 mg/L and 86 mg/L, respectively, were obtained in the planted cell; while the tannins and COD removal efficiency of 91.1% and 89.5% with outlet concentration of 57 mg/L and 96 mg/L, respectively, were obtained in the control cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review analyses the retypification of Acacia Mill. by the International Botanical Congress in 2005, from an African type to an Australian one. It explores the cultural, historical and trans-national context of what proved much more than a routine scientific decision. It contributes to a growing critique of historian Alfred Crosby's thesis Ecological Imperialism, and provides a historical review of the ecological literature leading to the discipline of invasion biology in South Africa, Australia and elsewhere, particularly the work of Charles Elton. The aim of the article is to narrow the gap between the historically ecological and the ecologically historical literature through a closely worked case study that reveals the role of national identity in even the most arcane and international science. The history of the 'wattle wars' (or the 'battle for Acacia') in Australia, South Africa and the rest of the world reveals a need for a new literacy in both culture and nature and increasingly sophisticated conversations between C.P. Snow's 'Two Cultures'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tannins from four indigenous and exotic woody plant species were studied by different methods with objectives of evaluating the quantity and quality of extractable tannins for comparison with standard Acacia mearnsii (wattle) tannins. The results showed that of the seven materials studied six had > 10% tannin content and were thus suitable for commercial exploitation. Thin layer chromatography indicated and confirmed the differences of the chemical nature of the materials as mixed and condensed tannins. The protein precipitation behaviours confirmed complexity and differences in their nature and potentiality for tanning or other uses compared with A. mearnsii. The tannin type of A. nilotica species was of hydrolysable-condensed while that of A. mearnsii was of condensed type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tannin extracts are substances commonly used in leather production processes. Since most of the steps of tannery manufacturing processes are carried out in aqueous environments, the presence of these compounds in the wastewaters is important. The aim of this work is to study the feasibility of the anaerobic degradation of three natural tannin extracts in three Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactors, which were fed with increasing concentrations of two condensed (quebracho and wattle) and one hydrolysable tannin extract (chestnut). Concentrations of applied extracts were 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,000 mg/l, and 5 g/l of glucose was used as cosubstrate. Reactors were operated during 210 days and their performance was evaluated from the values of total and soluble COD, total and intermediate alkalinity, volatile fatty acids, pH and UV absorption at 280 nm. COD removal efficiencies higher than 85% were achieved in all cases. However, tannin extract removal efficiencies (based on UV-280 nm absorption measurements) were significantly lower, around 20% for condensed extracts and 60% for the hydrolysable one, when the reactors operated with the highest tannin extract concentration. The operation of the reactors was stable, commonly with alkalinity ratios below 0.30. Mass balances carried out indicate that most of the COD removal efficiencies are due to the removal of the readily biodegradable organic matter (glucose), whereas the tannin extracts are hardly anaerobically biodegradable, especially condensed extracts (wattle and quebracho). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cervical chondrocutaneous remnants are very rare entities. They are thought to originate either from the second branchial arch or from auricular tissues. To date, less than 40 cases have been reported in the medical literature, and only 7 cases were bilateral. We report the case of a 1-month-old girl presenting with bilateral neck lesions since birth, with no other anomalies. Complete surgical excision was performed, the pathology of which confirmed the diagnosis of chondrocutaneous remnants. Follow-up after 9 months showed no clinical evidence of complications or recurrence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Complex coacervation between gelatin and wattle, for microencapsulation of oil, to use in leather industry applications. • Complex coacervation of two naturally occurring polymers -gelatin and wattle are designed. • optimum conditions for maximum coacervate yield of 65 obtained with wattle:gelatin ratio of 2:1 at pH 4.2. • The study provides a methodology for design of suitable wall materials for industrial applications such as leather and adhesives. Complex coacervation of two naturally occurring polymers is crucial in design of wall materials, particularly in the food and related industry. This work presents an analysis of the complex coacervate yield of two oppositely charged polymers, viz., gelatin and wattle varying parameters like pH, polymeric mass ratio, and total biopolymer concentration through zeta potential and turbidity measurements. Results show that for the boundary conditions employed in the study, maximum coacervate yield (65 ± 0.9 %) was for wattle:gelatin ratio of 2:1, pH 4.2. At 2.2 ± 0.1 g of wattle/ g of gelatin, large micron-sized aggregates with polydispersity index of 1 have been obtained. Turbidity of the dispersion is inversely proportional to coacervate yield and has been optimized at a total biopolymer concentration of 3% at a wattle to gelatin mass ratio of 2 for applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Casertana is an autochthonous pig genetic resource reared in Central-South of Italy. • Genome-wide association studies and F ST analyses were carried out in this breed. • Two ear conformation traits, presence/absence of wattles and coat colours were studied. • Markers associated with the presence of wattles were identified on SSC1 and SSC11. • Markers associated with coat colours were identified on SSC6, SSC8, SSC14 and SSC15. Casertana is an autochthonous pig breed reared in the Central-South of Italy, mainly in extensive or semi-extensive production systems. A small number of animals are registered to the breed herd-book. The population of this breed is not completely fixed for several exterior traits, including ear size (small vs large), ear bearing (forward vs floppy), presence or absence of wattles and coat colour (black vs slate-grey) that we recorded in a total of 101 pigs from six different farms. All these pigs were also genotyped with the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip. Then, with the aim to identify DNA markers associated with these traits, we run four genome-wide association studies (GWAS) comparing pigs having different phenotypes for each of the four external traits. Genome-wide fixation index (F ST) analyses were run to confirm the results. GEMMA software was used in the GWAS. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated to the wattle trait were identified on porcine chromosome (SSC) 1 and SSC11. Markers associated to the coat colour trait were located on SSC6, SSC8, SSC14 and SSC15. These chromosome regions were confirmed by the independent F ST analyses. F ST did not confirm the signals detected for the two ear conformation traits. Candidate genes were identified according to the function of the annotated genes in the detected genome regions. Despite the small number of pigs that could be investigated, this study showed that autochthonous animal genetic resources might be useful to disclose genetic factors affecting traits that are not fixed in a population. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]