Experimental acidification of Little Rock Lake,Wisconsin: The first four years of chemical and biological recovery

Little Rock Lake was experimentally acidified in 1984–1990 during which sulfuric acid was added to one basin, decreasing pH from 6.1 to 5.6, 5.1 and 4.7. The lake has been allowed to recover without manipulation since autumn 1990. By the third year of recovery, ～40% of the change necessary to return to pre-acidification values of pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), sulfate (SO₄ ^2?) and calcium (Ca²⁺) had occurred. During recovery years 1–2, ANC was closely predicted by models based on acidification phase observations, but recovery during years 3–4 was slower than predicted. A possible explanation for the slowed recovery is acidification of the upper 0–5 cm of sediment, which acts as a sink for the ANC generated via SO₄ ^2? reduction, the primary recovery mechanism. Trends for Zooplankton did not follow pH recovery very closely. Species diminished by acidification (e.g. Keralella cochlearis, Daphnia dubia) have not recovered, but species that dominated the community at pH 4.7 (e.g. K. taurocephala, D. catawba) have not maintained high populations. The time required for the Zooplankton community to recover to pre-manipulation conditions is uncertain. Delays also have been observed for the mayfly species Caenis, which had disappeared at pH 4.7. In contrast, reproductive success of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmonides) mirrored that observed during acidification; egg hatch and survival of young-of-the-year to autumn recurred when pH exceeded response levels documented during acidification. Overall, recovery has not closely followed the pattern predicted by acidification responses.     

果胶细菌诱导油菜结瘤与固氮研究

果胶细菌处理油菜幼根（2天苗龄、根长3cm），同时接种紫云英根瘤菌突变菌株（Rhizobiumhuakuii），诱发类根瘤的结瘤率为96.80％。从这些类根瘤中分离的菌株能回接到原寄主。类根瘤的电镜观察可以明显地见到细胞内充满了细菌。乙炔还原法测定的固氨酶活性（C2H4）为76.80nmol／（planth）。     

What predicts nitrous oxide emissions and denitrification N-loss from European soils?

N₂0 emissions and denitrification N-losses. precipitation, air temperature, soil moisture, bulk density and content of mineral N were monitored in 9 different agricultural soils in 6 European countries throughout the vegetation period (April to September) 1992 and 1993. N₂O emissions and denitrification N-losses were log-normal distributed, reflecting high temporal changes. While small flux rates (< 2 g N ha^?1 d^?1) were detectable every day, high rates (> 10 g N ha^?1 d^?1) were measured after fertilization. An attempt to relate the emission variables to climate and soil variables was made through the use of correlation analysis. The mean N₂0 emissions from soil were significantly correlated with the soil properties clay, organic C and mineral N content and the amount of applied mineral N fertilizer. The best prediction of the N₂O emission rates (r² = 0.734) was achieved by multiple linear regression using the soil parameter clay and mineral N. Only 50% of the observed variation could be explained by the factors C_org and mineral N, which describe the substrate availability for microbial processes. No successful statistical model was found for the prediction of denitrification N-losses.     

Extinction following intracranial reward: the effect of delay between acquisition and extinction

Rats trained to press a bar for intracranial reinforcement gave as many responses during extinction as did water-reinforced controls, when extinction came immediately after an acquisition session. However, the experimental animals gave fewer responses in extinction than water-reinforced animals when extinction was delayed for 1 hour after acquisition. The activity level of the experimental animals was high immediately after acquisition but declined markedly over the delay period, which suggests that resistance to extinction after intracranial reinforcement is primarily a function of activity level.     

Identification of the sex pheromone of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica

The sex pheromone of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, has been characterized as gentisyl quinone isovalerate. This cockroach is a major cause of allergic disease and serves as a mechanical vector of pathogens, making it one of the most important residential and food-associated pests worldwide. The sex pheromone-producing gland in adult females was identified in 1993, but thermal instability of the pheromone made characterization difficult. Now, using a new preparative gas chromatography approach coupled with electroantennographic detection, we have isolated and characterized the pheromone, which we term blattellaquinone, and confirmed the identification by chemical synthesis. The synthetic pheromone was active in behavioral assays and highly effective in field trapping tests, which suggest that it may provide a new tool in cockroach population detection, monitoring, and control.     

Evidence for dispensable sequences inserted into a nucleotide fold

Previous experimental results along with the structural modeling presented indicate that a nucleotide fold starts in the amino-terminal part of Escherichia coli isoleucyl-transfer RNA synthetase, a single chain polypeptide of 939 amino acids. Internal deletions were created in the region of the nucleotide fold. A set of deletions that collectively span 145 contiguous amino acids yielded active enzymes. Further extensions of the deletions yielded inactive or unstable proteins. The three-dimensional structure of an evidently homologous protein suggests that the active deletions lack portions of a segment that connects two parts of the nucleotide fold. Therefore, the results imply that removal of major sections of the polypeptide that connects these two parts of the fold does not result in major perturbation of the nucleotide binding site.     

Plasticity of the differentiated state

Heterokaryons provide a model system in which to examine how tissue-specific phenotypes arise and are maintained. When muscle cells are fused with nonmuscle cells, muscle gene expression is activated in the nonmuscle cell type. Gene expression was studied either at a single cell level with monoclonal antibodies or in mass cultures at a biochemical and molecular level. In all of the nonmuscle cell types tested, including representatives of different embryonic lineages, phenotypes, and developmental stages, muscle gene expression was induced. Differences among cell types in the kinetics, frequency, and gene dosage requirements for gene expression provide clues to the underlying regulatory mechanisms. These results show that the expression of genes in the nuclei of differentiated cells is remarkably plastic and susceptible to modulation by the cytoplasm. The isolation of the genes encoding the tissue-specific trans-acting regulators responsible for muscle gene activation should now be possible.     

Changes in tropical cyclone number, duration, and intensity in a warming environment

We examined the number of tropical cyclones and cyclone days as well as tropical cyclone intensity over the past 35 years, in an environment of increasing sea surface temperature. A large increase was seen in the number and proportion of hurricanes reaching categories 4 and 5. The largest increase occurred in the North Pacific, Indian, and Southwest Pacific Oceans, and the smallest percentage increase occurred in the North Atlantic Ocean. These increases have taken place while the number of cyclones and cyclone days has decreased in all basins except the North Atlantic during the past decade.