To assess the distribution and diversity of members of the recently identified bacterial kingdom Acidobacterium, members of this kingdom present in 43 environmental samples were surveyed by PCR amplification. A primer designed to amplify rRNA gene sequences (ribosomal DNAs [rDNAs]) from most known members of the kingdom was used to interrogate bulk DNA extracted from the samples. Positive PCR r...

Epidemics of soil-borne plant disease are characterized by patchiness because of restricted dispersal of inoculum. The density of inoculum within disease patches depends on a sequence comprising local amplification during the parasitic phase followed by dispersal of inoculum by cultivation during the intercrop period. The mechanisms that control size, shape, and persistence have received very l...

Based on the analysis results of seismic diagnosis design traditional houses in Kyoto, it has been considered that surface soil amplification factor indicated guidelines may be overestimated. In this paper, we have analyzed model used calculation and earthquake damage estimation Kyoto. As a result, former is not adequate for Kyoto city area. addition, lower limit 1.23 sufficient houses.

SSI and site amplification effects are investigated as influences on the seismic fragility of existing reinforced concrete moment-resisting frame dual frame-wall system buildings supported shallow foundations without interconnecting beams. We build upon a holistic methodology that accounts for soil–foundation–structure interaction using modular approach. calculate curves based nonlinear dynamic...

Organochlorine pesticides are one of the major groups of chemicals responsible for environmental contamination. Endosulfan a pesticide used mainly in cashew plantation is a highly toxic endocrine disrupter and a contact stomach poison. To study the endosulfan degrading microorganisms, 20 soil samples were collected from five different cashew plantations having a history of endosulfan applicatio...

Molecular methods are being frequently used for the study of soil microbial communities as majority of naturally occurring microbial populations are non-culturable. In the present study, we describe a protocol of DNA extraction from diverse soils using a combination of heat, enzyme (lysozyme) and guanidine thiocyanate. The efficacy of the procedure was evaluated in terms of yield, purity and du...

This paper presents the ElastoDynamics Toolbox (EDT) for MATLAB.1 EDT provides an extensive set of MATLAB functions to model seismic wave propagation in layered soils. It is based on the direct stiffness method and the thin layer method, presented by Kausel and Roësset. The toolbox is developed at K.U.Leuven, where it is used both for educational purposes and in research projects. It is used to...

Standardization of metagenomic DNA extraction protocol is a pre-requisite for a successful metagenomic study aiming to screen and exploit the variety of microorganisms inhabiting a particular soil environment. Six methods reported earlier were used for isolation of metagenomic DNA in the present study. These methods suffered with regard to either poor yield or quality of DNA. Therefore, we deve...

In the resent study, a diazotrophic bacterial isolate JPA2 having the ability to tolerate salinity (6 % NaCl) and plant growth-promoting features was isolated from rhizospheric soil of weed Chenopodium murale growing in saline soil of Pindara (EC 11.47 dS m-1), district Jind (Haryana). The nitrogen fixing ability of the isolate was confirmed by nifH gene amplification and acetylene reduction as...

The need for the prospecting for and identification of new biomolecules is a reality. Molecular techniques allow access to the metabolic potential of microorganisms via the isolation of DNA from environmental samples, i.e., without the application of microbial culture techniques. With its great biological diversity, the Atlantic Rainforest biome has a soil rich in organic matter, some component...