Drilling to gabbro in intact ocean crust

Sampling an intact sequence of oceanic crust through lavas, dikes, and gabbros is necessary to advance the understanding of the formation and evolution of crust formed at mid-ocean ridges, but it has been an elusive goal of scientific ocean drilling for decades. Recent drilling in the eastern Pacific Ocean in Hole 1256D reached gabbro within seismic layer 2, 1157 meters into crust formed at a superfast spreading rate. The gabbros are the crystallized melt lenses that formed beneath a mid-ocean ridge. The depth at which gabbro was reached confirms predictions extrapolated from seismic experiments at modern mid-ocean ridges: Melt lenses occur at shallower depths at faster spreading rates. The gabbros intrude metamorphosed sheeted dikes and have compositions similar to the overlying lavas, precluding formation of the cumulate lower oceanic crust from melt lenses so far penetrated by Hole 1256D.     

Straw return increases crop grain yields and K-use efficiency under a maize-rice cropping system

Straw return is an effective way to improve crop grain yield and potassium(K)use efficiency by increasing soil K content.However,the effects of straw return on soil K supplying capacity,replacement of K fertilizer,and K-use efficiency under maize(Zea mays L.)–rice(Oryza sativa L.)cropping systems are little studied.A two-year field experiment was conducted to determine the physiological determinants of K-use efficiency under straw return with four K fertilization rates.Sr33(straw returned plus 33%of K fertilizer applied)and Sr67(straw returned plus 67%of K fertilizer applied)increased annual crop yields by 1.5%and 3.2%and increased agronomic K-use efficiency by respectively 2.9 and 1.3-fold on average in the two years,compared with the conventional practice S0K100(no straw returned plus normal amounts of K fertilizer applied).The Sr33 and Sr67 treatments resulted in significantly greater equilibrium K concentration ratios(CR0 K)and specifically exchangeable K(KX)values according to quantity/intensity(Q/I)relationship analyses,indicating improvement of the potential soil K supply capacity.However,the Sr67 better maintained the soil exchangeable K level and K balance.The results suggested that K released from maize and rice straw can replace about half of chemical K fertilizer,depending on the available K content in maize–rice cropping system production.     

Salt (NaCl)‐Induced Modulation in some Key Physio‐Biochemical Attributes in Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)

Salt (NaCl)‐induced regulation of some key physio‐biochemical characteristics in two okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) cultivars (Nirali and Posa Sawni) was examined under greenhouse conditions. Plants of both cultivars were subjected for 30 days to sand culture salinized with four salt levels [0 (control), 50, 100 and 150 mm NaCl] in Hoagland’s nutrient solution. Salt stress significantly reduced the shoot and root fresh weights, transpiration rate, chlorophyll b content, net CO₂ assimilation (A), transpiration rate (E), while enhanced leaf and root Na⁺ and Cl^– concentrations in both cultivars. In contrast, chlorophyll a content, stomatal conductance (g_s), leaf internal CO₂ (C_i), C_i/C_a ratio, water‐use efficiency (A/E) and fluorescence characteristics such as photochemical quenching (qP), non‐photochemical quenching (NPQ), efficiency of PS‐II (F_v/F_m), proline contents, and leaf and root K⁺, Ca^{2 +} and N contents remained almost unaffected in both lines due to salt stress. The efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m), A, chlorophyll b, root fresh weight and root N were higher in relatively salt tolerant cv. Nirali, whereas leaf Na⁺ and root Cl^– were higher in cv. Posa Sawni. The relatively more reduction in growth in the cv. Posa Sawni was found to be associated with higher accumulation of Na⁺ in its leaves and Cl^– in roots.     

Factors Affecting on Response of Broad Bean and Corn to Air Quality and Soil CO2 Flux Rates in Egypt

In response to worldwide increases in the burning of fossil fuels to meet energy demands for electric power generation and transportation, atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are currently rising at approximately 0.5% per year and ground-level O₃ values are increasing at a rate of 0.32% per year. Some plants showed positive increases in response to elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, but are depressed when exposed to enhanced O₃ air pollution. The objective of this research was to examine relationships between alterations in leaf plant characteristics in response to air quality treatments and soil CO₂ flux activities during the growing season. Field studies were conducted in 2-m diameter?×?2-m height open-top chambers (OTC’s) at Sharkia Province during 2004 and 2005 involving the growth of broad bean (Vicia faba L. cv. Giza 40) and corn (Zea mays L. cv. 30 K8) in rotations using no-till management while being subjected full-season to five air quality treatments: charcoal-filtered (CF) air; CF + 150 µL CO₂ L^?1; non-filtered (NF) air; NF + 150 µL CO₂ L^?1 and ambient air (AA). Leaf photosynthesis (P_s), leaf area index (LAI), and vegetative carbohydrate contents were determined during pre- and post-anthesis in the two crops and soil CO₂ flux rates were monitored monthly during two growing seasons (2004–2005). Multiple and stepwise regression analyses were performed to establish linkages between plant canopy characteristics and soil CO₂ flux rates with results combined over growth stages and year for each crop. Increasing the atmospheric CO₂ concentration typically stimulated leaf P_s, soluble and total leaf carbohydrate contents, LAI values, and soil CO₂ flux rates throughout the growing season in both crop; however, the elevated O₃ treatments in NF air tended to lower these values compared to CF air. Soil CO₂ flux rates were significantly correlated with LAI, soluble and total sugar contents at P?≤?0.01 and with P_s rates at P?≤?0.05 in broad bean leaves, but with soluble and total sugar contents of leaves in corns at P?≤?0.01 only. Results of this study provided solid evidences linking the impact of changing air quality on plants factors processes and possible indirect effects on soil CO₂ flux activities throughout the growing season.     

Water use efficiency and economic feasibility of growing rice and wheat with sprinkler irrigation in the Indus Basin of Pakistan

With a population of more than 150 million, Pakistan cannot meet its need for food, if adequate water is not available for crop production. Per capita water availability has decreased from 5600 m³ in 1947 to 1000 m³ in 2004. Water table has gone down by more than 7 m in most parts of the country. Present need is to identify and adopt measures, that will reduce water use and increase crop production. This study was conducted in farmers’ fields during 2002–2004 to evaluate the water use efficiency and economic viability of sprinkler irrigation system for growing rice and wheat crops. Yields and water use were also measured on adjacent fields irrigated by basin flooding, which were planted with the same crop varieties. Sprinkler irrigation of rice produced 18% more yield, while reducing consumption of water to 35% of that used in the traditional irrigation system. Sprinkler irrigation of wheat resulted in a water use efficiency of 5.21 kg of grain per cubic meter of water used compared to 1.38 kg/m³ in the adjacent flooded basins. Benefit–cost analysis showed that adoption of rain-gun sprinkler irrigation for rice and wheat is a financially viable option for farmers. While these findings show large potentials for improving water use efficiency in crop production they also indicate that a large portion of the water applied in traditional flooded basin irrigation is going to groundwater recharge, which has high value near large cities which draw their water from the aquifer.     

Negative epistasis between beneficial mutations in an evolving bacterial population

Epistatic interactions between mutations play a prominent role in evolutionary theories. Many studies have found that epistasis is widespread, but they have rarely considered beneficial mutations. We analyzed the effects of epistasis on fitness for the first five mutations to fix in an experimental population of Escherichia coli. Epistasis depended on the effects of the combined mutations--the larger the expected benefit, the more negative the epistatic effect. Epistasis thus tended to produce diminishing returns with genotype fitness, although interactions involving one particular mutation had the opposite effect. These data support models in which negative epistasis contributes to declining rates of adaptation over time. Sign epistasis was rare in this genome-wide study, in contrast to its prevalence in an earlier study of mutations in a single gene.     

Determination of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine in fungal cell walls

A new method was developed to determine glucosamine (GlcN) and N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) in materials containing chitin and chitosan, such as fungal cell walls. It is based on two steps of hydrolysis with (i) concentrated sulfuric acid at low temperature and (ii) dilute sulfuric acid at high temperature, followed by one-step degradation with nitrous acid. In this process, chitin and chitosan are converted into anhydromannose and acetic acid. Anhydromannose represents the sum of GlcN and GlcNAc, whereas acetic acid is a marker for GlcNAc only. The method showed recovery of 90.1% of chitin and 85.7-92.4% of chitosan from commercial preparations. Furthermore, alkali insoluble material (AIM) from biomass of three strains of zygomycetes, Rhizopus oryzae, Mucor indicus, and Rhizomucor pusillus, was analyzed by this method. The glucosamine contents of AIM from R. oryzae and M. indicus were almost constant (41.7 +/- 2.2% and 42.0 +/- 1.7%, respectively), while in R. pusillus, it decreased from 40.0 to 30.0% during cultivation from 1 to 6 days. The GlcNAc content of AIM from R. oryzae and R. pusillus increased from 24.9 to 31.0% and from 36.3 to 50.8%, respectively, in 6 days, while it remained almost constant during the cultivation of M. indicus (23.5 +/- 0.8%).     

Exogenous Glycinebetaine and Salicylic Acid Application Improves Water Relations, Allometry and Quality of Hybrid Sunflower under Water Deficit Conditions

Limited water availability hampers the sustainability of crop production. Exogenous application of glycinebetaine (GB) and salicylic acid (SA) has been found very effective in reducing the adverse effects of water scarcity. This study was conducted to examine the possible role of exogenous GB and SA application in improving the growth and water relations of hybrid sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) under different irrigation regimes. There were three levels of irrigation, viz. control (normal irrigations), water stress at budding stage (irrigation missing at budding stage) and water stress at flowering stage (FS) (irrigation missing at FS). GB and SA were applied exogenously at 100 and 0.724 m m respectively, each at the budding and FS. Control plants did not receive application of GB and SA. Water stress reduced the leaf area index (LAI), leaf area duration (LAD), crop growth rate (CGR), leaf relative water contents, water potential, osmotic potential, turgor pressure, achene yield and water use efficiency. Nevertheless, exogenous GB and SA application appreciably improved these attributes under water stress. However, exogenous GB application at the FS was more effective than other treatments. Net assimilation rate was not affected by water stress as well as application of GB and SA. The protein contents were considerably increased by water stress at different growth stages, but were reduced by exogenous GB and SA application. The effects of water stress and foliar application of GB were more pronounced when applied at FS than at the budding stage. Moreover, exogenous GB application was only advantageous under stress conditions.     

药用资源沙枣产胶影响因素分析

【目的】研究种源、产地和环境因子对尖果沙枣、沙枣和东方沙枣的产胶率和胶多糖含量的影响。【方法】对新疆不同居群药用资源沙枣实地考察,收集沙枣胶,测算产胶率,提取沙枣胶中多糖并计算含量。【结果】不同基源的沙枣其产胶率和多糖含量统计上无显著差异(P>0.05,P=0.173);产地与产胶率相关性显著(尖果沙枣P=0.003、东方沙枣P=0.019、沙枣P=0.011),即低纬度地区产胶率高于高纬度地区,而产地与胶多糖含量差异不显著(P=0.051);生态因子海拔、无霜期、年均温和年积温与产胶率相关性显著,即海拔越低,无霜期越长,年均温和年积温越高,产胶率越高(P<0.05),而多糖含量与生态因子无显著相关(P值均>0.05)。【结论】在海拔较低的平原和天山以东、以南地区种植沙枣以推广沙枣胶产业。     

Quantitative measurement of negligible trypsin inhibitor activity and nutrient analysis of guar meal fractions

A complete nutrient characterization of three possible products of guar bean processing does not apparently exist in the literature. Guar meal is a high-protein byproduct produced during extraction of galactomannan gum from the guar bean. During the extraction process, two fractions are produced (germ and hull). Germ and hull fractions are usually combined to form the marketed product, guar meal. Analyses characterized the nutrient, trypsin inhibitor, and galactomannan gum content of the three guar meal byproducts to determine which fraction is more valuable as an ingredient in poultry diets. Analyses indicated that the germ fraction is most appropriate for inclusion in poultry diets. Trypsin inhibitor activity previously reported as an antigrowth factor associated with guar meal was negligible and not considered to be a significant factor limiting its use in poultry feeds.