Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice

In the mammalian retina, a small subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are intrinsically photosensitive, express the opsin-like protein melanopsin, and project to brain nuclei involved in non-image-forming visual functions such as pupillary light reflex and circadian photoentrainment. We report that in mice with the melanopsin gene ablated, RGCs retrograde-labeled from the suprachiasmatic nuclei were no longer intrinsically photosensitive, although their number, morphology, and projections were unchanged. These animals showed a pupillary light reflex indistinguishable from that of the wild type at low irradiances, but at high irradiances the reflex was incomplete, a pattern that suggests that the melanopsin-associated system and the classical rod/cone system are complementary in function.     

Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells: architecture, projections, and intrinsic photosensitivity

The primary circadian pacemaker, in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the mammalian brain, is photoentrained by light signals from the eyes through the retinohypothalamic tract. Retinal rod and cone cells are not required for photoentrainment. Recent evidence suggests that the entraining photoreceptors are retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that project to the SCN. The visual pigment for this photoreceptor may be melanopsin, an opsin-like protein whose coding messenger RNA is found in a subset of mammalian RGCs. By cloning rat melanopsin and generating specific antibodies, we show that melanopsin is present in cell bodies, dendrites, and proximal axonal segments of a subset of rat RGCs. In mice heterozygous for tau-lacZ targeted to the melanopsin gene locus, beta-galactosidase-positive RGC axons projected to the SCN and other brain nuclei involved in circadian photoentrainment or the pupillary light reflex. Rat RGCs that exhibited intrinsic photosensitivity invariably expressed melanopsin. Hence, melanopsin is most likely the visual pigment of phototransducing RGCs that set the circadian clock and initiate other non-image-forming visual functions.     

Elementary response of olfactory receptor neurons to odorants

Signaling by heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G proteins) drives numerous cellular processes. The number of G protein molecules activated by a single membrane receptor is a determinant of signal amplification, although in most cases this parameter remains unknown. In retinal rod photoreceptors, a long-lived photoisomerized rhodopsin molecule activates many G protein molecules (transducins), yielding substantial amplification and a large elementary (single-photon) response, before rhodopsin activity is terminated. Here we report that the elementary response in olfactory transduction is extremely small. A ligand-bound odorant receptor has a low probability of activating even one G protein molecule because the odorant dwell-time is very brief. Thus, signal amplification in olfactory transduction appears fundamentally different from that of phototransduction.     

Phenotypic variation in boron-toxicity tolerance at seedling stage in durum wheat (Triticum durum)

Summary Nineteen durum wheat landraces, cultivars or advanced lines of different origins in West Asia and North Africa (WANA), and three barley and two bread wheat varieties were evaluated for their boron (B) toxicity tolerance. Seedlings were grown at five levels of soluble soil B in a plastic house under controlled temperatures. Significant differences existed between the durum wheat entries in days-to-symptom appearance and foliar symptom score. Under the highest soil B treatment, large differences existed between entries for dry weight per plant (P<0.05) but differences were non-significant for shoot B concentrations. Days-to-symptom appearance was highly correlated with symptom score, which was not correlated with shoot B concentrations. Boron toxicity symptom scores of the durum wheat entries ranged from the sensitive barley check to the moderately sensitive bread wheat check. As expected, days-to-symptom appearance decreased and symptom severity increased as the soil B concentrations increased.The result of this study supported the preliminary finding that small, though statistically significant, variation in B toxicity symptom scores exist in durum wheat. The higher CV of symptom scores found here was mainly due to one sensitive entry, Cakmak. If Cakmak was excluded from the analysis, the CV would be reduced by half, to 10%. Durum wheat genotypes which are more tolerant to B toxicity should be sought. Based on the results of this study, and of soil surveys and information collected in WANA, germplasm collected from Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and the Anatolian Plateau of Turkey should be screened first.Abbreviations B boron - WANA West Asia and North Africa     

Genetic Variation in Nitrogen Uptake and Utilization in Spring Rape (Brassica napus L.) and its Exploitation Through Selection

Field and controlled environment studies revealed significant genetic variation in nitrogen uptake and utilization within an F2 population of spring rape. However, narrow-sense heritabilities of measures of these characters were consistently low, and were less than that of seed yield in the field. Flowering time in the field had a much higher heritability than seed yield and the expected yield response to selection for this character was 34 % greater than the response to direct yield selection. An even greater yield response was expected from selection based on an index combining measurements of flowering time, nitrogen uptake and nitrogen utilization. The expected yield response to selection for an index incorporating these characters and seed yield was SI % greater than that for direct yield selection.     

农田土壤与高产人参腐殖土壤的理化性状对比研究

为了改变伐林栽参的生产方式,实行“参农轮作”,以促进山区、半山区和平原地区农村参业生产的发展,并保护林业资源和生态平衡.我们通过农田土壤与高产人参腐殖土壤理化性状对比研究,找出两者的差异,以便用人工手段,将农田调控到高产人参所需的立地条件,并进行田间试验,为农田栽参提供科学依据.     

Modelling of river flushing and water quality in a tributary constrained by barrages

In developing countries, natural river regimes are increasingly undergone human modifications. All these constraints strongly affect the river systems. However, study on minor tributary of modified river is few. Thus the interest of this paper is to explore a tributary due to extensively regulated flow regime of mainstem river constrained by two barrages. The mainstem and tributary are deteriorating in its water quality due to the existing estuarial barrage impoundment. However by inserting another barrage in the middle stretch, modelling efforts have shown that the fluvial quality in the tributary improves compared to the former conditions. This has indicated that barrage operations are offering chances of improving a constrained tributary in terms of flow, flushing capability and water quality.     

Sedimentation field flow fractionation: applications

Sedimentation field flow fractionation is a powerful, new, high-resolution separation method for a wide variety of colloids, micelles, particulates, and soluble macromolecules of biological interest. Advances in instrumentation allow sedimentation field flow fractionation operation with rotor speeds up to 32,000 revolutions per minute ( approximately 85,000 gravities), which permits separation of materials as small as 5 x 10(5) molecular weight, depending on sample density. Compared to conventional centrifugation techniques, the gentle, mass-separating sedimentation field flow fractionation method is capable of higher resolution in shorter times.     

Chemiluminescence of anodized and etched silicon: evidence for a luminescent siloxene-like layer on porous silicon

Treatment of anodized or chemically etched silicon ("porous silicon") with dilute nitric acid or persulfate solution results in weak chemiluminescence in the visible region. Concentrated nitric acid reacts violently with porous Si produced by anodization with a bright flash of light. The fact that similar reactions occur with siloxene (Si(6)H(6)O(3)) prepared from CaSi(2) suggests that the visible emission seen with porous Si can be attributed to this substance.     

Differential impacts of climate variability on yields of rainfed barley and legumes in semi-arid Mediterranean conditions

Climate change has emerged as a major concern for crop production. This study used a field experiment to examine the differential yield responses of barley, lentil, common vetch, and bitter vetch to weather in the Mediterranean region. Crops were grown in a 10-year rotation trial in Lebanon. Precipitation and temperature were used as explanatory variables in simple linear correlation and standardized multiple-regression analyses. Grain yields were not correlated with annual precipitation. Barley grain yield was correlated positively with precipitation from March to May (r = 0.70) and the rainfall distribution index (r = 0.71), but negatively with mean May temperature (r = –0.62) and absolute minimum temperature in January (r = –0.91). Unlike barley, legume grain yield was not correlated with any rainfall parameters. Common vetch grain yield was negatively correlated with mean May temperature (r = –0.68). Grain yield of the two vetches were also correlated negatively with the absolute minimum temperature in January, but grain yield of lentil was not correlated with any weather variable. Standardized multiple-regression analyses showed that mean May temperature had the strongest influence on grain yield of barley, lentil, and common vetch, indicating that, under climate change, higher temperature may have a more deleterious effect on grain yield than lower rainfall. The negative correlation between common vetch and barley grain yields and temperature in May suggests that early sowing to induce earlier flowering and maturity to escape the hot summer may be an option to increase common vetch and barley grain yields.