Nitrogen Economy of the Main Shoot of Field-Grown Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): I. DRY WEIGHT, DURATION, AND NITRATE CONTENT IN DIFFERENT ORGANS

The main shoot of field-grown Jyoti barley (Hordeum vulgareL.) grown at 40 kg ha^–1 was separated into different organsat various stages of growth and development. Changes in freshand dry weights and duration for which the parts remained metabolicallyactive (green) were recorded. Weight duration (gram x day),a factor contributing to total NO^–₃ reduction of eachorgan, was calculated. The dry matter percentage increased inthe successively formed laminae and sheaths. The weight durationof the different components viz. internodes, spike (excludingthe grains), laminae, and sheaths, respectively were 40.2, 10.5,21.8, and 17.8. Nitrate content (µmol g^–1 dry wt.)was high in the initially formed organs and declined in thesuccessively formed ones. In the laminae, there was a sharpfall after achieving maximal values except for the flag laminawhere the changes in NO^–₃ content were marginal over afairly long period. The ear components had low NO₃^– concentration.Total NO^–₃ content (µmol) in the main shoot showedpeaks at 49, 84, and 118 d after sowing.     

印度尖瘤(虫兆)属一新种(弹尾纲,长角(虫兆)科)

描述尖瘤属Acrocyrtus印度1新种,陈氏尖瘤A.cheni sp.nov.。     

Seasonal Changes in Abscission Responses to Auxin in Debladed Petioles

The abscission of debladed petioles of various ages in Ervatamiaand Coleus has been followed throughout the year. In general,the retention times for the two species were found to be maximalin the summer and minimal in the winter months. In both speciesolder petioles tended to abscise earlier. The occurrences ofan auxin-inhibitable stage-I and an auxin-promotable stage-IIwere clearly established. The sensitivity to auxin in both stagesdeclined with increase in age, particularly in the two-nodeand three-node twigs of Ervatamia and in the four-node twigsof Coleus. The durations of stage-I and stage-II were foundto be characteristically different in different seasons. Ingeneral, stage-I lasted longer both in younger petioles andduring the summer months. Auxin sensitivity in both stages wasgreater in summer than in winter. Intermediate results wereobtained in the other two seasons. In both the species the auxin-promotablestage-II weakened with time, as shown by a smaller promotionwith delayed auxin application.     

Nitrogen Economy of the Main Shoot of Field-Grown Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): II. IN VIVO NITRATE REDUCTASE ACTIVITY DURING GROWTH

The method for assay of in vivo nitrate reductase (NR) activitywas standardized for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). NR activitywas determined in the various organs of the main shoot of field-grownJyoti barley at 40 kg N ha_–1. Total nitrate reductaseactivity (TNRA) of each organ for the period it was metabolicallyactive was calculated. The NR activity was highest in the laminae,followed by the sheaths, reproductive organs; and internodes.The NR activity was high in the first-formed laminae and itshowed a decline in the ones formed subsequently. The valuesvaried from 43.2 ± 4.33 to 7.2 ± 1.49 µmolNO^–₃ reduced g^–1 dry wt. h^–1. Maximum TNRAin the laminae, sheath, and internodes was at 49, 84, and 84–93d after sowing, respectively. The TNRA of the main shoot asa whole showed three peaks, one around 49 d, a second around63 d, and a third around 84 d after sowing. Correlation coefficient(r) between NR and NO3 concentration was highly significantin the laminae and sheath viz. 0.76^*** and 0.62^***, respectively.The results are discussed in relation to alteration in managementpractices to maximize nitrate assimilatory activity and theamount of reduced N harvested.     

Integrating evidence-based treatments for common mental disorders in routine primary care: feasibility and acceptability of the MANAS intervention in Goa,India

Common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, pose a major public health burden in developing countries. Although these disorders are thought to be best managed in primary care settings, there is a dearth of evidence about how this can be achieved in low resource settings. The MANAS project is an attempt to integrate an evidence based package of treatments into routine public and private primary care settings in Goa, India. Before initiating the trial, we carried out extensive preparatory work, over a period of 15 months, to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the planned intervention. This paper describes the systematic development and evaluation of the intervention through this preparatory phase. The preparatory stage, which was implemented in three phases, utilized quantitative and qualitative methods to inform our understanding of the potential problems and possible solutions in implementing the trial and led to critical modifications of the original intervention plan. Investing in systematic formative work prior to conducting expensive trials of the effectiveness of complex interventions is a useful exercise which potentially improves the likelihood of a positive result of such trials.