Comparing micrometeorology of rain forests in Biosphere-2 and Amazon basin

Micrometeorological variables measured in the BIOSPHERE-2 Center (B2C) enclosed rain forest biome for 1 year were compared with similar measurements made in the Amazon rain forest. In the B2C rain forest, the overlying glass and supporting structure significantly reduces (by approximately a factor of two) the incoming solar radiation. Monthly mean values of above-canopy and within-canopy air temperature, vapor pressure, and vapor pressure deficit are reasonably similar to those of the Amazon rain forest, but there are marked differences in the above-canopy values of these variables in the Arizona summer. Monthly mean diurnal trends also show significant differences. Measurements of vertical air temperature gradient clearly showed two very distinct environments in the 27.4 m high rain forest dome during daylight hours. There is a comparatively cool and fairly well-mixed environment (which is reasonably similar to that found in a natural rain forest) below about 10 m and a hot, thermally stable environment above about 15 m. The nature of the atmospheric turbulence within the B2C rain forest also is significantly different from that normally found in natural rain forests. There is little turbulent mixing above the forest canopy in this enclosed environment. These findings are important for guiding the operation and use of this experimental rain forest facility in future research and for understanding how the rain forest biome functions in an enclosed environment.     

Enhanced cytotoxicity of bleomycin,cisplatin, and carboplatin on equine sarcoid cells following electroporation‐mediated delivery in vitro

Electroporation is a method used to deliver poorly permeant chemotherapeutic drugs to tumor cells, potentiating the cytotoxic effects of drugs and overall clinical response. Despite existing evidence of the potential benefits of electroporation to enhance the antitumoral effects of drugs, there is a lack of understanding about the effects of electroporation on equine tumor cells. This study investigated the combined effects of electroporation and bleomycin, cisplatin, and carboplatin on an equine sarcoid cell line (EqS04b). The use of electroporation increases the cytotoxic effects of bleomycin, cisplatin, and carboplatin on the equine sarcoid cell line by 5‐fold, 4‐fold, and 3‐fold, respectively. These very promising findings demonstrate proof of principle for future preclinical studies on different tumor cells to investigate the in vivo effects of electroporation in sarcoid tumors.     

Effect of oestrous synchrony between embryo donors and recipients,embryo quality and state on the pregnancy rate in beef cattle

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oestrous synchrony between donors and recipients and the embryo quality on the pregnancy rate in beef cow recipients. The experiment was performed over two years at an embryo transfer (ET ) centre in Southern Brazil. Ninety Aberdeen Angus cows were subjected to superovulation (SOV ) protocols, resulting in the recovery of 1,048 transferable embryos. Eleven groups were formed with intervals of 6 hr, from ?30 to +30 hr, with respect to recipient versus donor oestrous detection. Evaluation of embryo quality was according to the IETS guidelines. The overall pregnancy rate was 52%. Effects related to donor and recipient oestrous synchronization on pregnancy rate were observed (p  =  .01), ranging from 36% to 50%. The embryo quality rate affected the pregnancy rate, where Grade I resulted in 57% and Grade III in 43% of pregnancy (p  <  .001). The embryonic state (frozen or fresh) showed no (p  >  .05) effect on pregnancy rate: 53% for fresh embryos and 44% for frozen embryos. The odds ratio for explanatory variables causing pregnancy indicated that Grade III embryos had 31% less chance of conception compared to Grade I. Thus, oestrous synchrony between donor and recipient, considering ±30 hr apart, can affect the pregnancy rate along with embryo quality.     

Comparison of Different Treatments for Oestrous Induction in Seasonally Anovulatory Mares

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different treatments for induction and synchronization of oestrus and ovulation in seasonally anovulatory mares. Fifteen mares formed the control group (C), while 26 mares were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Group T1 (n = 11) were treated with oral altrenogest (0.044 mg/kg; Regumate^®) during 11 days. Group T2 (n = 7) was intravaginally treated with 1.38 g of progesterone (CIDR^®) for 11 days. In group T3 (n = 8), mares were also treated with CIDR^®, but only for 8 days. All mares received PGF2α 1 day after finishing the treatment. Sonographic evaluation of follicles, pre‐ovulatory follicle size and ovulation time was recorded. Progesterone and leptin levels were analysed. Results show that pre‐ovulatory follicles were developed after the treatment in 88.5% of mares. However, the pre‐ovulatory follicle growth was dispersal, and sometimes it was detected when treatment was not finished. While in mares treated with intravaginal device, the follicle was soon detected (1.5 ± 1.2 days and 2.3 ± 2.0 days in T2 and T3 groups, respectively), in T1 group, the pre‐ovulatory follicle was detected slightly later (3.9 ± 1.6 days). The interval from the end of treatment to ovulation did not show significant differences between groups (T1 = 13.1 ± 2.5 days; T2 = 11.0 ± 3.6 days; T3 = 13.8 ± 4.3 days). The pregnancy rate was 47.4%, similar to the rate observed in group C (46.7%; p > 0.05). Initial leptin concentrations were significantly higher in mares, which restart their ovarian activity after treatments, suggesting a role in the reproduction mechanisms in mares. It could be concluded that the used treatments may be effective for oestrous induction in mares during the late phase of the seasonally anovulatory period. Furthermore, they cannot synchronize oestrus, and then, it is necessary to know the reproductive status of mares when these treatments are used for oestrous synchronization.     

野性斯派塞

苍绿的草原一望无际,起伏的山丘上搭着一道道浓绿的葡萄架,远处成群的牛羊悠闲地吃着草,星星点点的白色房屋,好似一幅静美的天然油画,而澳大利亚五星级牧场斯派塞就坐落于这绿色深处。     

NorKing Russet: A new russet-skinned potato cultivar

NorKing Russet is an oblong to slightly blocky, russet-skinned potato cultivar with medium-early maturity and a strong vine. It has resistance to verticillium wilt but is susceptible to most viruses and to early and late blight. It is generally medium to high yielding and high in total solids.     

Sum rules and interlayer conductivity of high-Tc cuprates

Analysis of the interlayer infrared conductivity of cuprate high-transition temperature superconductors reveals an anomalously large energy scale extending up to midinfrared frequencies that can be attributed to formation of the superconducting condensate. This unusual effect is observed in a va- riety of materials, including Tl2Ba2CuO6+x, La2-xSrxCuO4, and YBa2Cu3O6.6, which show an incoherent interlayer response in the normal state. Midinfrared range condensation was examined in the context of sum rules that can be formulated for the complex conductivity. One possible interpretation of these experiments is in terms of a kinetic energy change associated with the superconducting transition.     

Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa) behaves as a mixed competitive ligand and partial agonist at the human mu opiate receptor

Black cohosh is a commonly used botanical dietary supplement for the treatment of climacteric complaints. Because the opiate system in the brain is intimately associated with mood, temperature, and sex hormonal levels, the activity of black cohosh extracts at the human mu opiate receptor (hMOR) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells was investigated. The 100% methanol, 75% ethanol, and 40% 2-propanol extracts of black cohosh effectively displaced the specific binding of [3H]DAMGO to hMOR. Further studies of the clinically used ethanol extract indicated that black cohosh acted as a mixed competitive ligand, displacing 77 +/- 4% [3H]DAMGO to hMOR (Ki = 62.9 microg/mL). Using the [35S]GTPgammaS assay, the action of black cohosh was found to be consistent with an agonist, with an EC50 of 68.8 +/- 7.7 microg/mL. These results demonstrate for the first time that black cohosh contains active principle(s) that activate hMOR, supporting its beneficial role in alleviating menopausal symptoms.