Effects of Waterlogging Followed by a Salinity Peak on Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Due mainly to alterations in plant metabolism, lack of oxygen and excess salts are disturbances that affect crop yields. In different parts of the world crops are subjected t o those disttirbances, simultaneously or successively. Our objective was to determine the effects of a winter waterlogging followed by a spring salt peak on rapeseed yield, A pot experiment, combining waterlogging and salinization was carried out. The waterlogging duration was: 0 (control), 3, 7 and 14 days and the sahnity treatments were peaks of Electrical Conductivity of 5 and 8 dSm⁻¹ and the control. The yield started decreasingfrotn 3 days during waterlogging, mainly due to the lower number of seeds per plant. The salt peak from 5 dSm⁻¹ affected the yield only in plants which had suffered a waterlogging lower than 7 days, showing interaction between salinity and waterlogging, Only salinity reduced oil content. The saline peak affected the K, Ca and Na concentration in plant tissues, but the effect of salinity on rapeseed could be more related to soil water potential than specific ion toxicities or imbalance.     

Location-Specific and Across-Location Selections for Seed Yield in Populations of Common Bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Two populations of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., were used to make three independent location-specific selections at Palmira, Quilichao, and Popayán, Colombia. Also, three across-location selections were made by alternating generations between Palmira and Popayan, between Quilichao and Popayán, and among Palmira, Quilichao, and Popayán. The seven highest yielding lines selected from each environment and population along with 14 parents and two checks were evaluated for seed yield, seed weight, maturity, and reaction to an-thracnose, angular leaf spot, and common bacterial blight. Mean squares due to evaluation and selection environments, selected lines, and their interactions were significant for all traits. Mean yields of selected lines were higher than the mean of parents in both populations. Among location-specific selections, lines yielded higher at their respective selection site. Moreover, selections made at Popayán were higher yielding than those made at Quilichao or Palmira when tested across locations and years. Use of Popayán, a relatively wetter and cooler site, either alone or in combination with other locations resulted in higher yield, higher seed weight, and higher resistance to anthracnose. On the average, location-specific selections were lower yielding than the across-location selections. Among across-location selections, those selected between Palmira and Popayán were the highest yielding in both populations. Selections at Palmira and across all three locations resulted in greater stability.     

Metallomics approach to trace element analysis in ustilago maydis using cellular fractionation, atomic absorption spectrometry, and size exclusion chromatography with ICP-MS detection

Huitlacoche is the ethnic name of the young fruiting bodies of Ustilago maydis, a common parasite of maize. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, this fungus has been traditionally appreciated as a local delicacy. In this work a metallomics approach was used with the determination of eight elements in huitlacoche by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry as one facet of this approach. The results obtained indicated relatively lower concentrations of commonly analyzed metals, as referred to the data reported for other mushroom types. This effect was ascribed to different accessibilities of elements, depending on fungus substrate (lower from plant than from soil). Subcellular fractionation was accomplished by centrifugation of cell homogenates suspended in Tris-HCl buffer. Recoveries of the fractionation procedure were in the range of 71-103%. For six elements (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb), the mean relative contributions in cytosol, cell walls, and mixed membrane fraction were 50.7, 48.2, and 1.1% respectively. To attain the molecular weight distribution of compounds containing target elements as an additional aspect of the metallomics approach, the fungus extract (1% sodium dodecyl sulfate in Tris-HCl, 30 mmol L(-)(1), pH 7.0) was analyzed by size exclusion chromatography with UV and ICP-MS detection. With spectrophotometric detection (280 nm), the elution of high molecular weight compounds was observed in the form of one peak (MW > 10 kDa), and several lower peaks appeared at higher retention times (MW < 10 kDa). On ICP-MS chromatograms, a coelution of (59)Co, (63)Cu, (57)Fe, (202)Hg, (60)Ni, and (80)Se with the first peak on the UV chromatogram was clearly observed, indicating that a fraction of each element incorporated with high molecular weight compounds (12.7, 19.8, 33.7, 100, 19.4, and 45.8%, respectively, based on the peak area measurements). From a comparison of (80)Se and (33)S chromatograms (for sulfur analysis, the extract was obtained in the absence of SDS), both elements coeluted with the first UV peak, but their lower molecular weight compounds were apparently different. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the accumulation of elements in mushrooms.     

Deep Impact observations by OSIRIS onboard the Rosetta spacecraft

The OSIRIS cameras (optical, spectroscopic, and infrared remote imaging system) onboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft observed comet 9P/Tempel 1 for 17 days continuously around the time of NASA's Deep Impact mission. The cyanide-to-water production ratio was slightly enhanced in the impact cloud, compared with that of normal comet activity. Dust particles were flowing outward in the coma at >160 meters per second, accelerated by the gas. The slope of the brightness increase showed a dip about 200 seconds after the impact. Dust Afrho values before and long after the impact confirm the slight decrease of cometary activity. The dust-to-water mass ratio was much larger than 1.     

A comparative study of the precipitation acidity in two cities in Cantabria (Spain) with different degrees of industrialization

A study was carried out on the pH values obtained from bulk (wet and dry) precipitation samples collected simultaneously in two cities in Cantabria (Spain), Santander and Torrelavega over a period of a year. It was observed that the annual weighted average values for the pH of precipitation, 4.42 and 4.21, respectively, differ significantly although the difference is less than that existing between their pollution levels. The difference is greater when total annual H⁺ depositions are compared. The study also demonstrated the strong influence of long-range transport effect on acidity and to a lesser degree the effect of mid-range transport.     

Pharmacokinetics and renal toxicity of three once-a-day doses of amikacin in cows

Pharmacokinetic variables of amikacin in cows were determined after administration of amikacin sulphate either intravenously (IV) or intramuscularly (IM) at a dose of 25 mg/kg per day for three days. Amikacin concentrations at time zero and maximum serum concentrations were 240.8 microg/mL and 122.53 microg/mL, respectively. The elimination half-life remained unchanged during the three days of administration (T1/2beta = 1.33 +/- 0.029 h for the IV route and T1/2beta = 2.75 +/- 0.38 h for the IM route). Apparent volumes of distribution suggest limited distribution out of the central compartment (VdAUC = 0.154 +/- 0.005 L/kg; Vdc = 36.50 +/- 2.35 L; Vdss = 0.092 +/- 0.004 L/kg). Bioavailability after IM administration was 95%. Serum profiles of urea, creatinine, albumin, electrolytes and pH after 5-day treatment with amikacin at a dose of 25 mg/kg per day IM revealed no changes. Assessment of diffusion of amikacin to milk by a commercially available screening method to detect antibiotic residues revealed that amikacin could not be detected by the fifth milking period after the last treatment. These results suggest that it would be rational to use a large single-daily dose of amikacin for future clinical trials in cows.