Electrical origin of the outbursts on io

The outbursts seen on Jupiter's satellite Io have been described as volcanic eruptions. They may instead be the result of large electric currents flowing through hot spots on Io and causing evaporation of surface materials. A strictly periodic behavior would then be expected.     

Tongue Cooling during Drinking: A Regulator of Water Intake in Rats

Rats that had been deprived of water for 23(1/2) hours were presented with water for 30 minutes per day. As the temperature of the water was increased from 12 degrees to 36 degrees C (body temperature), the total water intake for 30 minutes increased 71 percent. Tongue cooling during drinking appears to suppress drinking in anticipation of extracellular hydration.     

Apollo 11 observations of a remarkable glazing phenomenon on the lunar surface

Some glazing is apparently due to radiation heating; it suggests a giant solar outburst in geologically recent times.     

A plant-associated microbe genome initiative

ABSTRACT Plant-associated microorganisms are critical to agricultural and food security and are key components in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems. Some of these diverse microbes, which include viruses, bacteria, oomycetes, fungi, and nematodes, cause plant diseases, whereas others prevent diseases or enhance plant growth. Despite their importance, we know little about them on a genomic level. To intervene in disease and understand the basis of biological control or symbiotic relationships, a concerted and coordinated genomic analysis of these microbes is essential. Genome analysis, in this context, refers to the structural and functional analysis of the microbe DNA including the genes, the proteins encoded by those genes, as well as noncoding sequences involved in genome dynamics and function. The ultimate emphasis is on understanding genomic functions involved in plant associations. Members of The American Phytopathological Society (APS) developed a prioritized list of plant-associated microbes for genome analysis. With this list as a foundation for discussions, a Workshop on Genomic Analysis of Plant-Associated Microorganisms was held in Washington, D.C., on 9 to 11 April 2002. The workshop was organized by the Public Policy Board of APS, and was funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), and USDA-National Research Initiatives (USDA-NRI). The workshop included academic, industrial, and governmental experts from the genomics and microbial research communities and observers from the federal funding agencies. After reviewing current and near-term technologies, workshop participants proposed a comprehensive, international initiative to obtain the genomic information needed to understand these important microbes and their interactions with host plants and the environment. Specifically, the recommendations call for a 5-year, $500 million international public effort for genome analysis of plant-associated microbes. The goals are to (i) obtain genome sequence information for several representative groups of microbes; (ii) identify and determine function for the genes/proteins and other genomic elements involved in plant-microbe interactions; (iii) develop and implement standardized bioinformatic tools and a database system that is applicable across all microbes; and (iv) educate and train scientists with skills and knowledge of biological and computational sciences who will apply the information to the protection of our food sources and environment.     

Empirical relationships between land use/cover and estuarine condition in the Northeastern United States

Land–water interactions were examined in three regions in the Virginian Biogeographic Province; the southern shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; the Hudson/Raritan region of New York; and the eastern shore of the Delmarva (Delaware/Maryland/Virginia) Peninsula. Cumulative distribution functions were used to evaluate similarity in environmental condition among estuaries. Spatial-setting variables (location in a river, coastal lagoon, or in open waters) were associated with variation for some measures of estuarine condition. Patterns of coastal urban and agriculture gradients were measured and their relationship with indicators of estuarine condition was modeled statistically. When estuaries were pooled, the highest variation explained by spatial-setting variables was found for dissolved oxygen (DO, R ² = 0.44) and salinity (R ² = 0.58), with DO decreasing in river locations and salinity decreasing with rainfall and sampling locations near rivers. The explanatory power for the other indicator variables was low and varied from 6% to 27%. Rainfall explained some of the variation (R ² = 0.23) in total suspended solids. Moderate (0.4 < | r | < 0.7) to strong (| r | ≥ 0.7) linear associations were found between total urban area and measures of estuarine condition. Within regions, total urban area was positively associated with Silver (r = 0.59), Cadmium (r = 0.65), and Mercury (r = 0.47) in Cape Cod, and inversely related to DO (r = −0.65) in the Hudson/Raritan region. No associations were found in the Delmarva Peninsula study area. Total area of agriculture showed a moderate association with Arsenic in Cape Cod, but no other associations were found in the other two regions. Our analyses show a measurable impact of urban land use on coastal ecosystem condition over large areas of the northeastern United States. This pattern was most evident when many different landscapes were considered simultaneously. The relationship between urban development and estuarine condition were weaker within the individual regions studied. The use of land use/cover models for predicting estuarine condition is a challenging task that warrants enhancements in the type, quantity, and quality of data to improve our ability to discern relationships between anthropogenic activities on land and the condition of coastal environments.     

Quality and decomposition of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) mulch for temperate alley cropping systems

Black locust and alfalfa mulch quality were characterized over a 9-week period of decomposition. Both mulch materials were harvested with a forage harvester. The black locust material was harvested from trees annually coppiced for four years, the alfalfa from a preflorescent second cutting. Two identical, adjacent experiments were conducted, one on each mulch source. A randomized complete block design was used with four replications for this single factor experiment. Fifty grams fresh weight of both mulch types were placed in litter bags, made of 98% shade cloth, a woven plastic with holes approximately 1×0.5 mm. The treatments included two placements of the mulch material, surface and buried. Sampling took place on weeks 0, 1, 3, 6, and 9.The incorporation of mulch materials appears to accelerate dry weight loss. From an initial dry weight of 44.25 g, the buried black locust mulch averaged 4.58 g, while the surface mulch averaged 7.41 g by week 6. The alfalfa mulch initially weighed 40.99g, with buried mulch averaging 1.75 g and surface mulch averaging 4.08 g by week 9.Carbon concentration of alfalfa mulch increased with time in both mulch placements from 43.6% to 57.6% and 51.8% in surface and buried mulch, respectively. Black locust, with an initial carbon concentration of 46.9% increased to 55.9% for the buried mulch and to 53.89% in surface mulch. Nitrogen concentrations increased as well in buried mulch. Lignin concentrations increased dramatically over time for both species of mulch. Black locust lignin concentrations rose from 13.11% to 51.0% (buried) and 32.9% (surface); alfalfa mulch lignin concentrations rose from 6.67% to 31.4% (buried) and 47.7% (surface).