The Effect of Photoinhibition on Photosynthetic Oxygen Production in the Brown Alga Dictyota dichotoma

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in the brown alga, Dictyota dichotoma, was studied with a PAM fluorometer (Walz, Effeltrich, Germany) and a homemade oxygen measuring device. As a measure of fluorescence, Fv/Fm, and for the photosynthetic yield, ΔF/Fm', were used. Oxygen measurements show clearly that the observed degree, as well as the time course, of photoinhibition depends on the fluence rate of the light used to measure changes of the production rate. After photoinhibition of photosynthesis the depression of oxygen production caused by non-saturating fluence rates was generally much more pronounced than that caused by saturating or nearly saturating fluence rates. At minimal photoinhibition the initial slope and the convexity of the fluence rate-response curve of oxygen evolution decrease, whereas the level of light saturation decreases only after strong photoinhibition. Nevertheless, at different degrees of photoinhibition, changes in the degree of the upper bending of the fluence rate-response curve of oxygen production are also linearly correlated to changes in the fluorescence ratios (Fv/Fm and ΔF/Fm'). The action spectrum of photoinhibition, calculated on the basis of changes of Fv/Fm, indicates that the reaction center of PS I is not involved in photoinhibition. The lower effectiveness of blue light in comparison to effects of green and red light may be due to chloroplast displacement, as in the so-called strong light position, the light absorbed by the thalli in vivo is decreased.     

青龙胶丸治疗脑梗塞后慢性脑功能不全50例疗效观察

采用青龙胶丸治疗脑梗塞后慢性脑功能不全５０例。结果表明,在连续治疗３个月后,慢性脑功能不全所致的头痛、头晕、失眠、生活主动性减退、对周围事物反应能力减退等症状的有效率均达８０％以上。神经心理学检查证实其对指向记忆、联想学习、人像特点联想回忆、认识能力等均有较好的改善作用。治疗前后血液流变学指标的改善,提示青龙胶丸降低纤维蛋白原、降低血液粘度,具有抗凝、解聚、溶栓、扩张血管、改善微循环的作用。认为是其对慢性脑功能不全发挥较好治疗作用的药理基础之一。     

Materials for the fungus flora of Japan (49)

Two interesting microfungi are described as new to Japan:Talaromyces galapagensis (anam.Penicillium galapagense), isolated from soil in Shizuoka; andPenicillium megasporum, isolated from marine sludge in Nagasaki. Some observations are recorded, particularly on ascomatal initials ofT. galapagensis, which are similar to those described forTalaromyces flavus.(48): Kaneko, S., Mycoscience 36: 359–360, 1995.     

The effects of prolonged emersion and submersion by tidal manipulation on marine macrobenthos

Effects of tidal manipulation, resulting in prolonged periods of emersion and submersion or in protracted tidal cycles, on estuarine benthic animals are reviewed.Prolonged submersion periods did not show effects on mortality of most benthic animals tested, with the exception of the crumb-of-bread sponge Halichondrea panicea, which, at low water-flow rates, was covered with a layer of bacteria and subsequently died.Protracted low-water periods of 18 hours during several weeks hardly caused any mortality. However, protracted low-water periods of 30 hours during some weeks or emersion during several days caused a strong increase in mortality, depending on: the duration of emersion, temperature, condition of the animals, species and age. At temperatures below –1 °C and above 24 °C mortality was generally high. Animals with a low glycogen content were more sensitive to emersion than those with a high content. Species with a shell and those that are relatively big were less sensitive than those without a shell or of small size.The reproductive cycle of benthic animals could be delayed or accelerated by both emersion and submersion.     

Measurement of k(L)a by dynamic pressure method in pilot-plant fermentor

The dynamic pressure method (DPM) is used for measurement of k(L)a in a 1-m(3) pilot scale fermentor in coalescing (distilled water) and noncoalescing (0.3 M Na(2)SO(4) aqueous solution) batches. The method consists in recording oxygen concentration in a batch after a small pressure change (20 kPa) in the fermentor. The upward pressure change is brought about by temporary closing and subsequent throttling of outlet gas stream and the downward change by full reopening of the gas outlet. Absorption of pure oxygen yields the same k(L)a values as absorption of air. In noncoalescing batch, the downward k(L)a values are always higher than the upward values owing to spontaneous nucleation of bubbles. The experiments performed in a stirred cell confirm this behavior. Thus, only upward pressure change should be used for measurement. The correlation of k(L)a data measured in small (18-L) and large (1000-L) vessels based on power dissipated and superficial gas velocity are in a good agreement. Unlike the DPM, the classical dynamic methods yield, under the same conditions, excessively low values of k(L)a (the dynamic startup method) or fail to produce data at all (the dynamic method with interchange of air for N(2)). (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The Wageningen Rhizolab — a facility to study soil-root-shoot-atmosphere interactions in crops

A research facility is described for the integrated study of soil-root-shoot-atmosphere relationships in crops. The Wageningen Rhizolab has been in use since 1990, and consists of two rows, each with eight below-ground compartments aligned along a corridor. A rain shelter automatically covers the experimental area at the start of rainfall. Compartments are 125 cm × 125 cm and 200 cm deep. Each compartment has a separate drip irrigation system. Crop canopy photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration can be measured simultaneously and continuously on four out of eight compartments at a time. Each compartment can be filled with a selected soil material (repacked soil) and is accessible from the corridor over its full depth. Multiple sensors for measuring soil moisture status, electrical conductivity, temperature, soil respiration, trace gases and oxygen are installed in spatial patterns in accordance with the requirements of the experiments. Sensors are connected to control and data-acquisition devices. Likewise, provisions have been made to sample manually the soil solution and soil atmosphere. Root observation tubes (minirhizotrons) are installed horizontally at depth intervals ranging from 5 cm (upper soil layers) to 25 cm (below 1 m). The facility is at present in use to study growth and development of vegetation (crops) in relation to drought, nutrient status, soil-borne diseases, and underground root competition. One important application is the study of elevated CO₂ concentration and climate change and the way they affect crops and their carbon economy. Growth and development of field grown vegetables and winter cover crops are also evaluated. The common aspect of those studies is to gain a better understanding of crop growth under varying environmental conditions, and to collect datasets that may help to improve mechanistic crop growth simulation models that can address suboptimal growth conditions.     

华中地区小家鼠生物学特性观察

华中地区农村小家鼠的个体较小,主要栖息于农舍,终年繁殖,繁殖高峰期为７月和８月,１－３月为繁殖低谷期;种群数量高峰在９月,低谷期在７－８月,冬季的种群数量水平较高,呈后峰型。在较高的密度条件下,雌鼠的怀孕率降低,性成熟延缓。     

鄂尔多斯高原生态过渡带气候特殊性和气候植物生长指数与畜牧业生产动态分析

鄂尔多斯高原位于我国典型的生态过渡带,气候变化明显,系统反应敏感,因此,现有的主要用于植被和气候空间分类的有关植物与气候关系的模型和指数,均不适合用于鄂尔多斯高原生态过渡带气候。植物动态分析。为此,本文利用位于鄂尔多斯高原中部的伊金霍洛旗３９ａ（１９５３－１９９１）气象资料,分析该地区的气候特点,构建一个可用于描述生态过渡带气候特征的气候植物生长指数,并用与植被动态密切相关的天然放牧条件下（１９５８－１９７９）,该旗牲畜的存栏数和出栏数的历史资料代替植被动态资料,进行鄂尔多斯气候植物生长指数与天然放牧条件下牲畜的存栏数和出栏数的动态分析,构建其ＡＲＭＡＸ模型。研究结果表明,鄂尔多斯高原气候敏感易变,降水年际变化大;高原光、温、水配合并不完全一致,光、温超前,降水滞后,天然植被生产力不高;气候植物生长指数与畜牧生产的动态分析结果表明,该地区在天然放牧情况下,主要依赖于牧场植被长势的畜牧生产与气候－植物生长指数密切相关,说明构建的气候植物生长指数确实在一定程度上反映了该地区的气候与植物生长的关系￣（６－８）。     

Enantiomerization of 2,2′-diisopropylbiphenyl during chiral inclusion gas chromatography: Determination of the rotational energy barrier by computer simulation of dynamic chromatographic elution profiles

By computer simulation of experimental dynamic gas chromatographic elution profiles, the rotational energy barrier ΔG⁼ of racemic 2,2′-diisopropylbiphenyl has been determined as 114.6–115.0 kJ/mol (75–100°C). These data are in good agreement with a value that was determined previously by measuring the racemization kinetics of an enriched sample. This indicates that there is no measurable catalytic or inhibitory effect of the stationary phase. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.