Increase in the Nitrogen Content of Soil by the Introduction of Earthworms into Soil

The contribution of an earthworm species ( Amynthas vittatus ) to the increase of the nitrogen content of soil was examined. Three specimens of adult earthworms were introduced into 300 g of soil (Gray Lowland soil, silty clay) supplemented with 1% carboxymethyl cellulose in a container and incubated for 32 d at 22°C in the dark. The contents of total-N, NH₄-N and NO₃-N, and the population of aerobic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil significantly increased after incubation with the earthworms, while the natural abundance of ¹⁵N (δ¹⁵N) in soil decreased. The amount of nitrogen in the earthworms did not decrease during the incubation in the microcosm. Both acetylene reduction activity of the microcosm and incorporation of ¹⁵N to soil from atmospheric ¹⁵N₂ were significantly enhanced by the introduction of the earthworms into soil, though the observed increment of nitrogen in soil was much higher than the estimated one based on the nitrogen-fixing activity. The results obtained in the present study indicated that the earthworms increased the nitrogen content of soil, presumably due to the enhancement of the nitrogen-fixing activity of the soil from the microcosm by the earthworms.     

The effect of seeding and tillage methods on productivity of rice–wheat cropping system

Many farmers in southeast Asia are growing rice on unpuddled soil. This practice does not permit breaking of the deadlock of increase in productivity in spite of using high yielding varieties and practising all known scientific technologies. Furthermore, farmers do dry seeding which leads to heavy infestation of weeds and reduces response to other inputs. Similarly, in rice–wheat belt due to short turn around time farmers resort to broadcast sowing of wheat after rice and no data on benefits or otherwise of tillage are available. A field study was therefore conducted for 3 years (1993–1994 to 1995–1996) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the effect of tillage and seeding methods in rice–wheat cropping system. Treatments included four combinations of two puddling treatments (puddling and no puddling) and two methods of rice seeding (direct seeding and transplanting) in rice and two tillage treatments (zero and conventional tillage) in wheat. Results indicated that puddling increased grain yield of rice by 0.7–1 t ha⁻¹ and of succeeding wheat by 0.2–0.4 t ha⁻¹, straw yield of rice by 0.8–1.7 t ha⁻¹ and of succeeding wheat by 0.1–1.0 t ha⁻¹.

Puddling reduced water requirement of rice by 75 mm ha and increased net return of rice–wheat system by US $175 ha⁻¹. Transplanted rice gave significantly higher grain and straw yields and net returns than direct seeded rice both on puddled and unpuddled seedbed. Conventional tillage in wheat also increased productivity of rice–wheat cropping system significantly over zero tillage after both puddled and non-puddled rice. Our results thus show that rice should be grown on puddled soil and wheat after rice should be sown after conventional tillage.     

Developing a kinetic alternative in modeling soil aluminium

Soil chemistry models often use gibbsite solubility and similar equilibrium models to predict Al concentrations in soil solution. A kinetic alternative was developed with the goal of finding universal rate constants instead of the site- and depth-specific solubility constants usually associated with the equilibrium approach. The behavior of the two approaches was studied within the framework of the steady-state soil chemistry model PROFILE using data from Solling, Germany and Gårdsjön, Sweden, two sites with different mineralogy and land use history. The kinetic alternative uses a mass balance to predict Al concentrations. The sources of Al in soil water are deposition, weathering and mineralization. The sinks are leaching and the formation of an aluminosilicate precursor. The precursor slowly transforms into an ordinary clay mineral. Both formation and transformation of the precursor are treated as irreversible processes. The kinetic model introduces a new relationship between pH and Al and produces a systematic pattern of different apparent gibbsite equilibrium constants at different depths. Results show that the kinetic model systematically underestimates Al concentration in the upper horizons, which indicates that there may be additional sources of Al in the upper horizons not accounted for in the model. Predicted values of pH and Al concentrations are comparable with field observations.     

Hypothyroidism elicits electrophysiological noradrenergic subsensitivity in rat cerebellum

discharge rats of Purkinje neurons were compared in control and hypothyroid adult rats. Purkinje neurons in hypothyroid rats fired significantly faster and were less sensitive to iontophoretically applied norepinephrine than those in control rats. The subsensitivity of the Purkinje neurons appeared to be primarily due to an alteration in the beta-receptor--adenylate cyclase complex, because the sensitivity of these cells to locally applied N6-monobutyryl adenosine 3'-5'-monophosphate (N6 cyclic AMP) did not change significantly. The sensitivity of the Purkinje neurons to norepinephrine could be restored in hypothyroid rats by administration of triiodothyronine.     

Expression of lactate and malate dehydrogenases in tumors induced by SV40 and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene

Isozyme patterns of lactate and malate dehydrogenases were studied in tumors induced by SV40 and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and in established cultures of cells from these tumors. The expression of B polypeptide subunits of lactate dehydrogenase is suppressed similarly by both agents. This may be due to inactivation of the gene at the locus determining the B polypeptide subunit. Malate dehydrogenase isozyme patterns are not changed significantly by the virus or the carcinogen.     

Is the gramicidin a transmembrane channel single-stranded or double-stranded helix? A simple unequivocal determination

Thallium ion-induced carbonyl carbon chemical shifts were compared for all of the L-residue-peptide carbonyl carbons of the gramicidin A transmembrane channel. Molecular structures were deduced by using the argument that helically equivalent and equally proximal carbonyls would exhibit essentially equivalent ion-induced chemical shifts. The transmembrane channel was found to be a head-to-head dimer with the structure of a left-handed, single-stranded beta-helix.     

Lhx2 selector activity specifies cortical identity and suppresses hippocampal organizer fate

The earliest step in creating the cerebral cortex is the specification of neuroepithelium to a cortical fate. Using mouse genetic mosaics and timed inactivations, we demonstrated that Lhx2 acts as a classic selector gene and essential intrinsic determinant of cortical identity. Lhx2 selector activity is restricted to an early critical period when stem cells comprise the cortical neuroepithelium, where it acts cell-autonomously to specify cortical identity and suppress alternative fates in a spatially dependent manner. Laterally, Lhx2 null cells adopt antihem identity, whereas medially they become cortical hem cells, which can induce and organize ectopic hippocampal fields. In addition to providing functional evidence for Lhx2 selector activity, these findings show that the cortical hem is a hippocampal organizer.     

Anthocyanin characterization utilizing liquid chromatography combined with advanced mass spectrometric detection

Anthocyanins are naturally occurring polyphenolic plant pigments. To analyze the anthocyanin content of samples, rapid and reliable methods for separation and detection are needed. In this work an LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS instrument was used to develop a new tandem MS data acquisition strategy for anthocyanin characterization which was subsequently compared to more conventional measurements. It has been shown that the newly developed strategy, multiple reaction monitoring-initiated anthocyanin characterization (MIAC), can successfully be used in anthocyanin analysis and has various advantages compared to some more traditional measurements, such as enhanced selectivity, better signal-to-noise ratio and simplified data evaluation. Furthermore, the number of relevant MS/MS data increased significantly with the MIAC method compared with a more common information dependent MS experiment strategy.     

Ion Leaching Before and After Clear-Cutting in a Norway Spruce Stand - Effects of Long-Term Application of Ammonium Nitrate and Superphosphate

Soil solution chemistry was measured in a Haplic Podzol in a Norway spruce (Picea abies, L.Karst) site in central Sweden that had received frequent low-dose applications of nitrogen (N) asammonium nitrate (30-120 kg N/ha yr) and phosphorus (P) as superphosphate (20-40 kg P/haabout every third year) over a long period (22 yr). The aim was to investigate effects of added Non the ion leaching before and after clear-cutting. The N load corresponded well with actual loadsin central Europe. Prior to clear-cutting, fertilization increased concentrations of several ions inthe soil solution. Total losses of NO ₃ ^- , Al andH⁺ increased with the intensity of fertilization. However, since fertilization enhanced tree growthand nutrient uptake, differences between the total losses of several other ions tended to beequalized. After clear-cutting, the pH in the soil solution decreased, and the losses of Mn and Alincreased with fertilizer load, probably because of increased N mineralization and nitrification. Inthe N treatments the concentration of SO ₄ ^2- in the soil solution decreased, probably owing toincreased adsorption in the B horizon in response to the pH decrease. The effects ofanthropogenic N deposition are discussed in the light of our findings and possible causes oftemporal and spatial variation in soil solution chemistry and ion fluxes are suggested.