Profile--Richard A. Mathies. Interview by Suzanne Berry.

Richard A. Mathies (Fig. 1) is a professor of chemistry at the University of California (UC) at Berkeley. His early work at UC was on the use of resonance Raman and time-resolved optical spectroscopy to elucidate the structure and reaction dynamics of energy and information-transducing photoactive proteins called rhodopsins. His work on the Human Genome Project led to the development of high-throughput platform technologies including capillary array electrophoresis and energy transfer fluorescent dye labels for DNA sequencing and analysis. He has also pioneered the development of microfabricated capillary electrophoresis devices, capillary array electrophoresis microplates and microfabriated integrated sample preparation and detection methods. He is the co-founder of the Center for Analytical Biotechnology at UC Berkeley. Mathies was interviewed at the BIOMEMS and Biomedical Nanotechnology conference in Columbus, Ohio, 21-25 September 2001, where he gave a talk about capillary array electrophoresis-based microprocessors. Such devices could be used as point-of-care clinical and genetic analyzers, in integrated microfluidic sequencing chips and in DNA-based computing.     

Berry composition and climate: responses and empirical models

Climate is a strong modulator of berry composition. Accordingly, the projected change in climate is expected to impact on the composition of berries and of the resultant wines. However, the direction and extent of climate change impact on fruit composition of winegrape cultivars are not fully known. This study utilised a climate gradient along a 700 km transect, covering all wine regions of Western Australia, to explore and empirically describe influences of climate on anthocyanins, pH and titratable acidity (TA) levels in two or three cultivars of Vitis vinifera (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Shiraz). The results showed that, at a common maturity of 22° Brix total soluble solids, berries from the warmer regions had low levels of anthocyanins and TA as well as high pH compared to berries from the cooler regions. Most of these regional variations in berry composition reflected the prevailing climatic conditions of the regions. Thus, depending on cultivar, 82–87 % of TA, 83 % of anthocyanins and about half of the pH variations across the gradient were explained by climate-variable-based empirical models. Some of the variables that were relevant in describing the variations in berry attributes included: diurnal ranges and ripening period temperature (TA), vapour pressure deficit in October and growing degree days (pH), and ripening period temperatures (anthocyanins). Further, the rates of change in these berry attributes in response to climate variables were cultivar dependent. Based on the observed patterns along the climate gradient, it is concluded that: (1) in a warming climate, all other things being equal, berry anthocyanins and TA levels will decline whereas pH levels will rise; and (2) despite variations in non-climatic factors (e.g. soil type and management) along the sampling transect, variations in TA and anthocyanins were satisfactorily described using climate-variable-based empirical models, indicating the overriding impact of climate on berry composition. The models presented here are useful tools for assessing likely changes in berry TA and anthocyanins in response to changing climate for the wine regions and cultivars covered in this study.     

新疆小浆果植物资源及其开发利用

新疆北疆山区具有非常丰富的小浆果资源,但开发利用尚处初级阶段。对新疆北疆小浆果的分布现状及保护、合理开发利用和人工栽培状况进行了初步探讨,提出了在山区发展小浆果类经济树种的初步建议。     

Berry syndrome: a rare cardiac malformation with extra-cardiac findings

正Dear Editor,Berry syndrome is a rare combination of congenital cardiac malformations characterized by four abnormal features;namely,an aortopulmonary window(APW),aortic origin of the right pulmonary artery,hypoplasia or interruption of the aortic arch,with an intact ventricular septum.The disease was first reported by Berry in 1982,who estimated the incidence within the population with congenital cardiac malformations to be 0.046%(Berry et al.,1982).Until recently,     

葡萄采后果粒脱落及保鲜贮藏

葡萄穗粳和果柄的呼吸强度与乙烯生成显著高于果粒,并呈现呼吸跃变型变化。落粒果柄中GA消失,ABA增加。降低贮藏温度、外源GA,NAA,AOA处理能抑制落粒,ABA、乙烯利则增加落粒率。剪去穗梗和果柄后果粒和果柄间不再形成离层,表明穗梗和果柄在落粒过程中起重要作用。     

链霉素在葡萄果粒中的残留分析及膨大剂的处理效果

以12年生‘玫瑰香’葡萄为实验材料,探讨了无核诱导剂（链霉素）在果实中的残留及对无核果粒的膨大的影响。结果表明,于盛花前3 d用赤霉酸50 mg.L-1＋链霉素400 mg.L-1的混合液浸蘸花穗,无核率达96%。果粒中链霉素的残留量在浸蘸10 d后即下降到处理日的1/10,到成熟时不足1 mg.kg-1。应用数学灰色系统理论分析表明,CPPU 5 mg.L-1+GAs 50 mg.L-1 、GAs 100 mg.L-1、GAs 50 mg.L-1和CPPU 5 mg.L-1在盛花后2周浸蘸无核处理过的‘玫瑰香’果穗,无核果粒的膨大及品质良好。