Nonstationary Phase of the Plio-Pleistocene Asian Monsoon

Paleoclimate records indicate that the strength of the Asian summer monsoon is sensitive to orbital forcing at the obliquity and precession periods (41,000 and 23,000 years, respectively) and the extent of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Over the past 2.6 million years, the timing (phase) of strong monsoons has changed by approximately 83 degrees in the precession and approximately 124 degrees in the obliquity bands relative to the phase of maximum global ice volume (inferred from the marine oxygen isotope record). These results suggest that one or both of these systems is nonstationary relative to orbital forcing.     

Preparation of photonic crystals made of air spheres in titania

Three-dimensional crystals of air spheres in titania (TiO2) with radii between 120 and 1000 nanometers were made by filling the voids in artificial opals by precipitation from a liquid-phase chemical reaction and subsequently removing the original opal material by calcination. These macroporous materials are a new class of photonic band gap crystals for the optical spectrum. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and optical microscopy confirm the quality of the samples, and optical reflectivity demonstrates that the crystals are strongly photonic and near that needed to exhibit band gap behavior.     

A laser-diode-based system for measuring sap flow by the heat-pulse method

Transpiration, the movement of water through plants from the soil to the atmosphere, is an important process in plant physiology, the hydrologic cycle, and the global energy balance. Transpiration at the scale of individual plants can be measured with weighing lysimetry, but this technique is limited to small plants and is generally impractical for trees and many field crops. Heat-pulse velocity methods offer an alternative, and several plant sap flow gauges have been marketed. Because these gauges use electrical resistance heaters to heat the stem, they present several problems: they are invasive, typically bulky, provide poor temperature control (killing the cambium), and have lengthy response times, so they cannot measure short-term transients.In this report, we describe a system for measuring sap flow in real-time and without the need to puncture the stem. Instead of a resistance heater, it uses a laser beam as a heat source, and instead of contact thermometers, it uses non-contact infrared thermometers. Used with a precision-mounting unit that insures constant alignment, it determines whole-plant transpiration. The laser has the added advantage of delivering a precisely controlled amount of heat for a discrete time period. The end product is a more accurate, less invasive way to gauge water flow through herbaceous plant stems.     

Subunit communication in the anthranilate synthase complex from Salmonella typhimurium

The anthranilate synthase-phosphoribosyl transferase complex of the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway in Salmonella typhimurium is an allosteric, heterotetrameric (TrpE2-TrpD2) enzyme whose multiple activities are negatively feedback-regulated by L-tryptophan. A hybrid complex containing one catalytically active, feedback-insensitive and one catalytically inactive, feedback-sensitive mutant TrpE subunit was assembled in vitro and used to investigate communication between regulatory and catalytic sites located on different subunits. The properties of the hybrid complex demonstrate that the binding of a single inhibitor molecule to one TrpE subunit is sufficient for the propagation of a conformational change that affects the active site of the companion subunit.     

高产、优质、抗病玉米杂交种沈单11号选育及应用

1　品种来源及选育经过沈单 1 1号 (原沈试 2 8号 )为黄色马齿型中晚熟杂交种 ,组配于 1 990年 ,亲本自交系为沈 1 35和丹 340。 1 998年 3月通过辽宁省农作物品种审定委员会审定。沈单 1 1号于 1 991～ 1 997年先后参加了院内产量鉴定试验、品种比较试验和辽宁省预备试验、区域试验、生产试验及多点试验 ,具有高产、优质、多抗、抗逆性强等特点 ,是一个增产潜力较大的优良玉米杂交种。2　品种特征特性2 .1　形态特征沈单 1 1号在幼苗期叶色深绿 ,叶鞘紫红 ,长势强 ,成株株高 2 75ｃｍ ,穗位 1 2 2ｃｍ ,穗长 2 2ｃｍ ,穗粗 5.8ｃｍ ,穗行数…     

The relationship between the prevalence of uterine lesions and the use of medroxyprogesterone acetate for canine population control

SUMMARY The prevalence of uterine disease was established during desexing of 175 bitches in the Torres Strait and Cape York, 42 of which had been treated with injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) for oestrus postponement. The prevalence of uterine lesions was 45% for treated bitches, 5% for untreated bitches, and 14.9% for the sample population. A highly significant relationship (P<0.01) between MPA treatment and uterine lesions was established. A significant association (P<0.05) between age (>2 years old) and uterine lesions was found, most likely attributable to a significantly higher proportion (P<0.01) of MPA-treated bitches in the older population. There was no significant difference in the effect of MPA on the prevalence of uterine lesions between older and younger bitches. There was no effect of parity on the prevalence of uterine lesions.     

Evaluation of the Karras Spermdensimeter in Relation to the Neubauer Counting Chamber for Sperm Concentration Measurement in Boar Semen

The correct measurement of spermatic concentration in boar semen is one of the basic tasks routinely performed at the Swine Artificial Insemination Center (CIAS). This article explains two experiments whose objectives were: Experiment 1: This trial had two objectives: (1) to evaluate the precision of the spermdensimeter (SPM) with relation to the Neubauer count chamber (CN) which is considered the standard technique in the field and (2) to correct the scale on the SPM table. Experiment 2: This trial also had two objectives: (1) to evaluate the time and repetitions required in the SPM and (2) to compare the SPM adjusted table produced in Expt 1 with the SPM standard table. The methods in Expt 1 were used to measure total spermatic concentration in 141 boar ejaculates. The average spermatic concentrations (10(6) spermatozoids/ml) and average dose number were 229.1 and 22.6 for CN, and 283.6 and 28.0 for SPM. These results indicate that the SPM has a tendency to overestimate spermatic concentration with relation to the CN. The SPM produced a smaller coefficient of variation and needed lesser examination time than the CN (p < 0.05). The SPM adjusted table created in Expt 1 produced similar results as the SPM and CN standard tables (2.96 billion live spermatozoids/dose vs 2.36 billion live spermatozoids/dose). Incorporation and evaluation of supplemental data from other CIAS regarding the use of the SPM adjusted table in the field entitled 'Adjusted Table for Karras Spermdensimeter LPS-FMVZ-USP' would be valuable to prove its efficiency.