Effect of increasing climatic water deficit on some leaf and stomatal parameters of wild and cultivated almonds under Mediterranean conditions

The prevailing environmental conditions, temperature in particular, drive seasonal changes both in leaf development and stomatal characteristics. In order to ascertain the effect of increases in climatic water deficit on some leaf and stomatal parameters under field conditions, a study was carried out on two sets of leaves (spring and summer) on a large sample of Amygdalus communis L. cultivars in comparison with several Amygdalus webbii Spach seedlings, a species more adapted to arid environments and probable ancestor of cultivated almonds. Observations were performed between spring and summer of a particularly hot season. The results showed a significant and general reduction of both leaf area and stomatal frequency and an increase in stomatal size. Nevertheless, there were evident differences between cultivated and wild almonds. A stronger reduction of leaf area was observed in A. webbii (−31%) with respect to A. communis (−14%); on the contrary, the latter reduced stomatal frequency more than the former (−25% and −19%, respectively). The examined cultivated almonds, in response to the increase in climatic water deficit, tended to arrange their stomatal structures like those of wild almonds. Finally, increasing the climatic water deficit, the slope of the linear regressions between stomatal frequency and size did not change in either species, leading to a better understanding of the mechanisms of almond acclimation to environmental stresses.     

邻苯二酚对切花保鲜效果的影响

采用不同浓度的邻苯二酚及8-HQC和蔗糖组成的保鲜剂对香石竹、月季、换锦花、非洲菊进行保鲜处理,研究其对切花寿命的影响。结果表明:1m M邻苯二酚组成的保鲜剂可以显著延长香石竹、换锦花、非洲菊和月季切花的寿命。     

压片法和熔融盐法制备沸石氮肥的养分释放特性

不同沸石分别与硝酸铵混合压片和硝酸铵熔融盐反应制备沸石氮肥，利用水冲洗和土壤淋溶法对它们的释放特性进行初步评价和比较。发现熔融盐反应制备的沸石氮肥比用压片法制备的沸石氮肥具有更强的抗水冲洗和土壤盐溶液溶解能力，在平稳释放的过程中负载硝酸铵的量也较高。他们以较低的浓度平稳释放，具有一定缓慢释放的效果。     

水肥(氮)对小麦生理生态的影响 (Ⅱ )水肥 (氮 )对小麦叶片细胞间隙CO_2 浓度和气孔导度的影响

小麦叶片细胞间隙CO2浓度Cint全天最高值出现在早上,其日变化曲线呈"　　"型。Cint日变化在9:00后,大致呈现随施氮量增加而下降的趋势。在午前,低水处理Cint日变化较高水处理要高,午后则下降到较低的位置。各处理Cint时段变化随施氮量增加而下降,土壤水胁迫处理Cint各时期最低。小麦叶片气孔导度(Gs)在中午达到峰值,其日变化呈现"W"字型。4月20日Gs最高。Gs日变化随施氮量的增加而下降;低水叶片Gs在上午相对较高,下午则相反。Gs时段变化,低氮处理相对较高,高水与胁迫处理Gs较其它处理显著降低。     

Evaluation of a percutaneously controlled hydraulic occluder in a rat model of gradual venous occlusion

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a percutaneously controlled hydraulic occluder (HO) in a rat model of gradual venous occlusion. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats. METHODS: HOs and perivascular transit time ultrasound flow probes were applied to the caudal vena cava (CVC). Occluders in group I rats (n=6) were gradually attenuated over 8 weeks, whereas occluders in group II rats (n=4) were not attenuated. Vena caval blood flow measurements were performed weekly in all rats for 8 weeks. After euthanasia, the CVC was evaluated grossly and by histopathology. RESULTS: Premature occlusion of the vena cava occurred during the 1st week in 3 rats (1 in group I, 2 in group II) because of kinking of the vena cava between the HO and the flow probe. For the remaining rats, mean blood flow in group I decreased significantly from 40.71 mL/min/kg at baseline to 4.68 mL/min/kg at 8 weeks (P=.0094, power=0.91). Group II rats maintained vena caval blood flow at all times during the study. Complete occlusion of the vena cava was confirmed at necropsy in all group I rats. CONCLUSIONS: Gradual occlusion of the CVC of rats was achieved with HOs over 8 weeks. This model is limited by the size of the experimental animals and comparatively large implants. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: HOs may provide a method for gradual occlusion of congenital portosystemic shunts.     

Postharvest water relations in cut rose cultivars with contrasting sensitivity to high relative air humidity during growth

A constant high relative air humidity (RH) during cultivation can strongly reduce the vase life in some cut rose cultivars. We studied three contrasting cultivars in their tolerance to high RH in order to analyse in detail the water relations during postharvest and better understand this genotypic variation. Plants were grown at moderate (60%) and high (95%) RH, and cut flowers were placed in water immediately after cutting. Flowers of cv. Pink Prophyta grown at high RH did not open throughout vase life, while flower opening of cvs. Frisco and Dream was not affected by preharvest RH. Cultivation at high RH resulted in about 80% shorter vase life in Pink Prophyta, whereas in Dream and Frisco the negative effect was considerably smaller (15 and 9% shorter vase life, respectively). The shorter vase life and reduced flower opening of cut roses grown at high RH was due to a higher rate of transpiration both in the light and dark periods. It was found that the leaves of Pink Prophyta grown at high RH could partly close their stomata upon lowering of the water potential or when flower stalks were fed with abscisic acid, but stomata remained far more open than in leaves grown at moderate RH. The RH during cultivation did not affect stem hydraulic conductivity and its recovery after air emboli induction. Preventing vascular occlusion largely alleviated the high-cultivation-RH effect on vase life and flower opening, showing that the effect of high-cultivation-RH becomes only important if water uptake is limited.     

浙江省山区河道护坡乔木植物枫杨耐淹性研究

[目的]对浙江省山区河道护坡植物枫杨进行耐淹性研究。[方法]分别测定生长在河岸和河道水流中的枫杨叶片的气孔导度和膜保护酶活性。[结果]枫杨树种在淹水条件下气孔导度比旱生条件下增加了52.89%,SOD和POD活性分别减少了17.1%和25.8%,MDA含量增加了18.48%。[结论]枫杨植株在山区河道消落带中具有较强的耐淹性。     

Neuroprotective effect of L-serine on rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion

AIM: To investigate the neuroprotective effect, therapeutic dosage and time window of L-serine against permanent cerebral injury in rats. METHODS: Permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) was induced in the rats to determine the efficacy of L-serine (ip) by neurological evaluation, TTC staining and Nissl staining.L-serine was used at different doses (56 mg/kg, 168 mg/kg and 504 mg/kg) and for different time periods (1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h and 24 h after pMCAO). Aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA), an inhibitor of serine racemase, was used to alter the efficacy of L-serine. Laser Doppler perfusion monitor was used to observe the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the ischemic cerebral cortex under the condition with or without L-serine treatment. RESULTS: Treatment with L-serine at doses of 168 mg/kg and 504 mg/kg at time point of 3 h after pMCAO greatly decreased the neurological deficit score and infarct volume,and attenuated the loss of hippocampal CA1 neuronal cells. In the observation of therapeutic time window, L-serine displayed a significant neuroprotective effect if used within 6 h after pMCAO, but did not exert any notable effect if used over 12 h after pMCAO. AOAA hardly changed the effect of L-serine. L-serine treatment notably raised rCBF in the area of ischemic cerebral cortex when it was injected 30 min after pMCAO. However, strychnine, an antagonist of strychnine-sensitive glycine receptor, did not alter this effect of L-serine. CONCLUSION: L-serine has neuroprotective effect on permanent ischemic brain injury in rats if administered early and sufficiently by augmentation of rCBF in the ischemic cerebral cortex.     

Genotypic Variation of Stomatal Conductance in Relation to Stomatal Density and Length in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

Stomatal conductance (g_s) is an important trait responsible for the genotypic difference in gas diffusion for photosynthesis and transpiration in rice (Oryza sativa L.). We measured g_s, stomatal density and stomatal length (guard-cell length) at two weeks before heading for 64 accessions from a rice diversity research set of germplasm (RDRS) and for three high-yielding cultivars (HYC) under field conditions. Considerable variations in g_s, and stomatal length were observed among varieties in RDRS, and it was considered that RDRS covers the species diversity of the stomatal characteristics in rice. When it was compared among the varieties with similar plant earliness, g_s was higher in HYC than in most varieties of RDRS. Stomatal density did not correlate with g_s, and there was a negative correlation between stomatal density and stomatal length. However, noticeable variance existed in the latter relation, where HYC exhibited a higher stomatal density and slightly shorter stomatal length than RDRS. High g_s in HYC is attributable to their high stomatal density and moderate specific stomatal conductance (g_s / stomatal density) while the high-g_s varieties in RDRS tended to have a lower stomatal density and higher specific stomatal conductance. Stomatal length is related to specific stomatal conductance, but there are remarkable differences between these traits. Specific stomatal conductance in HYC has not reached the upper limit for their stomatal size, which raises a possibility of further improvement of HYC in g_s.