Effect of tower base painting on willow ptarmigan collision rates with wind turbines

1. Birds colliding with turbine rotor blades is a well‐known negative consequence of wind‐power plants. However, there has been far less attention to the risk of birds colliding with the turbine towers, and how to mitigate this risk.
2. Based on data from the Smøla wind‐power plant in Central Norway, it seems highly likely that willow ptarmigan (the only gallinaceous species found on the island) is prone to collide with turbine towers. By employing a BACI‐approach, we tested if painting the lower parts of turbine towers black would reduce the collision risk.
3. Overall, there was a 48% reduction in the number of recorded ptarmigan carcasses per search at painted turbines relative to neighboring control (unpainted) ones, with significant variation both within and between years.
4. Using contrast painting to the turbine towers resulted in significantly reduced number of ptarmigan carcasses found, emphasizing the effectiveness of such a relatively simple mitigation measure.

     

Restriction fragment length polymorphism of the major histocompatibility complex of the dog

Human major histocompatibility complex (HLA) cDNA probes were used to analyze the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the DLA-D region in dogs. Genomic DNA from peripheral blood leucocytes of 23 unrelated DLA-D-homozygous dogs representing nine DLA-D types (defined by mixed leucocyte reaction) was digested with restriction enzymes (Bam HI, Eco RI, Hind III, Pvu II, Taq I, Rsa I, Msp I, Pst I, and Bgl II), separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, and transferred onto Biotrace membrane. The Southern blots were successively hybridized with radiolabeled HLA cDNA probes corresponding to DR, DQ, DP, and DO beta genes. The autoradiograms for all nine enzyme digests displayed multiple bands with the DRb, DQb, and DPb probes while the DOb probe hybridized with one to two bands. The RFLP patterns were highly polymorphic but consistent within each DLA-D type. Standard RFLP patterns were established for nine DLA-D types which could be discriminated from each other by using two enzymes (Rsa I and Pst I) and the HLA-DPb probe. Cluster analysis of the polymorphic restriction fragments detected by the DRb probe revealed four closely related supertypic groups or DLA-DR families: Dw3+Dw4+D1, Dw8+D10, D7+D16+D9, and Dw1. This study provides the basis for DLA-D genotyping at a population level by RFLP analysis. These results also suggest that the genetic organization of the DLA-D region may closely resemble that of the HLA complex.     

Correction of chlorophyll-defective male-sterile winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) through organelle exchange: Characterization of the chlorophyll deficiency

Jarl, C. I., Ljungberg, U. K. and Bornman, C. H. 1988. Correction of chlorophyll-defective male-sterile winter oilseed rape ( Brassica napus ) through organelle exchange: Characterization of the chlorophyll deficiency. - Physiol. Plant. 72: 505–510.
As is known, the introduction of male-sterile Raphanus sativus L. cytoplasm into Brassica napus L. results in male-sterile oilseed rape plants, which display a temperature-related chlorophyll defect. The influences of temperature and irradiance on this defect were investigated. Compared to a line of normal (green phenotype) male-fertile oilseed rape, the male-sterile line had reduced chlorophyll content, fewer chloroplasts per cell, an altered ultrastructure of the chloroplasts and reduced activities of both photosystems, although the relative amounts of the photosystems and the chlorophyll a/b ratio were similar. The lower activity of the photosystems is explained by a decreased functional antennae size and a reduced efficiency in the interactions between the nuclear-encoded light-harvesting proteins and the reaction centres coded for by the plastome. Some thylakoid polypeptides differed in proportion between the male-fertile line with green phenotype and the male-sterile line with chlorotic phenotype. Characters, in which the two lines exhibited differences, are ascribed to difficulties in molecular communication between the oilseed rape nucleus and the radish cytoplasm, which are combined in the deficient male-sterile line.     

A human neuroblastoma cell line with a stable ornithine decarboxylase in vivo and in vitro

A human neuroblastoma cell line (Paju) grew in 10 mM difluoromethyl-ornithine, which at this concentration normally stops the growth of all mammalian cells. Ornithine decarboxylase from Paju was resistant to inhibition in vitro by difluoromethylornithine, and required 10 microM of the compound for 50% inhibition, whereas ornithine decarboxylase from SH-SY5Y cells (another human neuroblastoma) and from rat liver needed only 0.5 microM difluoromethylornithine. Paju ornithine decarboxylase also exhibited a long half-life (over eight hours) in vivo. The half-life of immunoreactive protein was significantly longer than that of the activity. The long half-life of ornithine decarboxylase in Paju cells leads to its accumulation to a specific activity of 2000 nmol/mg of protein per 30 min during rapid growth (the corresponding activity in SH-SY5Y cells was about 2.5). When partially purified ornithine decarboxylase from Paju cells was incubated with rat liver microsomes it was inactivated with a half-life of 75 min. This inactivation was accompanied by a fall in the amount of immunoreactive protein. In the same inactivating system partially purified SH-SY5Y ornithine decarboxylase had a half-life of 38 min and its half-life in vivo was 50 min. The corresponding values for rat liver ornithine decarboxylase were 45 min and 40 min, respectively. Rat liver microsomes also inactivated rat liver adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. These results suggest that Paju ornithine decarboxylase has an altered molecular conformation, rendering it resistant to (i) difluoromethylornithine and (ii) proteolytic degradation both in vivo and in vitro.     

Observations on freeze-fractured membranes of a Trypanosome

Pure preparations of Trypanosoma brucei, free from plasma and cellular components were isolated from rat blood, and concentrated into loose pellets by low-speed centrifugation. Pellets were either processed for thin sectioning as a control for general morphology, or glycerol-treated after glutaraldehyde fixation for preparation of freeze-fracture replicas. Concentration of cells of 50,000–100,000/mm² of sectioned or fractured surface facilitated identification of fracture faces of the cell body, invaginated flagellar pocket and flagellum. Particle distribution and A and B faces of these regions of the cell are described. A collar of B face particles occurs around the neck of the flagellar pocket, possibly associated with a junction controlling ingress of ingested materials to coated vesicles formed along the membrane defining the pocket. A and B faces of the flagellum and adjoining surface of the cell body have shown that the only intra-membrane specialization corresponding to the miniature ‘maculae adherentes’ described previously in thin sections is probably an uninterrupted series of small clusters (3–6) of 80 Å particles on the A face of the flagellar membrane. It is proposed that these arrays represent attachment points for strands linking the axoneme and paraxial rod to the flagellar surface, and are not directly concerned with the physical adhesion of the flagellum to the cell body surface—a linkage that appears to be established within the extracellular gap between these apposed surfaces of the cell. The potential use of freeze-etching in further study of the external antigens of the infective cell is discussed.     

Risk factors and 25 year risk of coronary heart disease in a male population with a high incidence of the disease: the Finnish cohorts of the seven countries study.

OBJECTIVE--To assess the efficacy of high serum cholesterol concentration, raised blood pressure, and smoking as predictors of coronary heart disease. DESIGN--Prospective cohort study of middle aged men conducted over 25 years. SETTING--Finish components of an ongoing international study (seven countries study). PARTICIPANTS--1520 Men who at age 40-59 in 1959 were free of clinically evident heart disease. INTERVENTIONS--At each follow up visit a detailed medical examination including resting electrocardiography was performed, blood pressure and serum total cholesterol concentration were measured, and smoking was assessed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--825 Deaths (54% of participants) occurred during follow up, of which 335 were due to coronary heart disease. The hazard ratio for death from coronary heart disease with respect to risk factors at entry were: for serum cholesterol concentrations above 8.4 mmol/l v below 5.2 mmol/l, 2.68 (95% confidence interval 1.62 to 4.42); for systolic blood pressure in the highest quintile v that in the lowest quintile, 2.46 (1.72 to 3.50); and for smoking 10 or more cigarettes daily v never smoking, 1.95 (1.36 to 2.79). The hazard ratios with respect to cholesterol concentrations and blood pressure remained constant during follow up but the ratio with respect to smoking diminished, mainly owing to men giving up the habit. The estimated conditional probability of a 50 year old man dying of coronary heart disease in the next 25 years ranged from 12% among those with the most favourable risk factor profile to 75% among those with the least favourable profile. CONCLUSIONS--High risk factor levels (as determined in this study) in middle aged men may greatly increase the absolute probability of death from coronary heart disease when the period of study is relevant to the human life span.     

Immunogold localization of chymotrypsin inhibitor-2, a lysine-rich protein,in developing barley endosperm

Chymotrypsin inhibitor-2, a lysine-rich protein in the barley endosperm, has been localized at the ultrastructural level by immunocytochemistry in developing barley endosperm cells 14 days post anthesis. The protein is deposited in the protein bodies. Two morphologically distinct types of protein bodies, small spherical and large irregularly shaped, are present. Golgi-apparatus-derived vesicles whose content is labelled by chymotrypsin inhibitor-2 antibody-gold particles are observed at the Golgi complex and around the vacuoles. These observations indicate that the transport of the protein to the site of deposition is mediated by the Golgi apparatus.Abbreviations CI chymotrypsin inhibitor - DPA days post anthesis - ER endoplasmic reticulum The authors wish to thank Dr. V.R. Franceschi (Department of Botany, Washington State University, Pullman, USA) for many helpful discussions and advice during the work, and the staff at the Electron Microscope Center at Washington State University for technical assistance.     

Modelling crop growth and biomass partitioning to shoots and roots in relation to nitrogen and water availability,using a maximization principle

Many crop models relate the allocation of dry matter between shoots and roots exclusively to the crop development stage. Such models may not take into account the effects of changes in environment on allocation, unless the allocation parameters are altered. In this paper a crop model with a dynamic allocation parameter for dry matter between shoots and roots is described. The basis of the model is that a plant allocates dry matter such that its growth is maximized. Consequently, the demand and supply of carbon, nitrogen, and water is maintained in balance. This model supports the hypothesis that a functional equilibrium exists between shoots and roots.This paper explains the mathematical computation procedure of the crop model. Moreover, an analysis was made of the ability of a crop model to simulate plant dry matter production and allocation of dry matter between plant organs. The model was tested using data from a greenhouse experiment in which spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown under different soil moisture and nitrogen (N) levels.Generally, the model simulations agreed well with data recorded for total plant dry matter. For validation data the coefficient of determination (r²) between simulated and measured shoot dry weight was 0.96. For the validation treatments r² was slightly lower, 0.94. In addition to dry matter production the model succeeded satisfactorily in simulating the dry weight of different plant organs. The response of simulated root to shoot ratio to the level of soil moisture was mainly in accordance with the measured data. In contrast, the simulated ratio seemed to be insensitive to the changes in the levels soil N concentration used in the experiment.The data used in the present study were not extensive, and more data are needed to validate the model. However, the results showed that the model responses to the changes in soil N and water level were realistic and mostly agreed with the data. Thus, we suggest that the model and the method employed to allocate dry matter between roots and shoots are useful when modelling the growth of crops under N and water limited conditions.     

Ribosomal RNA genes in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.): Chromosomal organization and structure

The nuclear 18S, 5.8S and 25S rRNA genes exist as thousands of rDNA repeats in the Scots pine genome. The number and location of rDNA loci (nucleolus organizers, NORs) were studied by cytological methods, and a restriction map from the coding region of the Scots pine rDNA repeat was constructed using digoxigenin-labeled flax rDNA as a probe. Based on the maximum number of nucleoli and chromosomal secondary constrictions, Scots pine has at least eight NORs in its haploid genome. The size of the Scots pine rDNA repeat unit is approximately 27 kb, two- or threefold larger than the typical angiosperm rDNA unit, but similar in size to other characterized conifer rDNA repeats. The intergenic spacer region (IGS) of the rDNA repeat unit in Scots pine is longer than 20 kb, and the transcribed spacer regions surrounding the 5.8S gene (ITS1 and ITS2) span a region of 2.9 kb. Restriction analysis revealed that although the coding regions of rDNA repeats are homogeneous, heterogeneity exists in the intergenic spacer region between individuals, as well as among the rDNA repeats within individuals.