The effect of micronutrient supply on the growth and seed production of guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray)

The effect of micronutrient supply on the growth and seed production of guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) was investigated. A deficiency of boron, but no other trace element, significantly reduced the growth, seed production and the percentage of seeds that germinated. The optimum concentration of B for seed production was between 20 and 100 μM. Results indicate that guayule may benefit from B fertilisation.     

2000—2015年秦巴山区植被净初级生产力时空变化及其驱动因子

基于2000—2015年MOD17A3数据及各驱动因素数据,辅以地统计学理论,利用趋势分析、Hurst指数及相关分析等方法,剖析秦巴山区近16年植被净初级生产力(NPP)时空变化特征,研究气候变化、土壤类型、地形因子、植被类型及人类活动等对植被NPP的影响.结果表明: 秦巴山区植被NPP空间上呈西南高、东北低的分布格局;时间上,近16年呈西北增、东北减的变化特征,在未来呈北部持续性、南部反持续性的发展态势.秦巴山区植被NPP与降雨量和气温呈正相关;暗棕壤、黄壤、紫色土和水稻土4种土壤类型的NPP均值明显高于其他土壤类型;不同植被类型的NPP存在空间分布和变化趋势的差异;NPP的高值主要分布在坡度25°～50°、海拔500～1000 m 以及大于2500 m的区域内;人类活动对NPP具有双重扰动性,表现为正向促进,反向抑制.     

Intraspecies Variability in the Esterases and Acid Phosphatases of Paramecium jenningsi and Paramecium multimicronucleatum: Assignment of Unidentified Paramecia; Comparison with the P. aurelia Complex1

ABSTRACT. Enzyme electrophoresis was exploited to identify stocks of paramecia previously not identified to particular species. Stocks collected in India and one from Panama belong to Paramecium jenningsi, while others collected in Panama or in Brazil are assignable to syngen 2 of P. multimicronucleatum on the basis of similarity of their esterase and acid phosphatase phenotypes. Inclusion of these doubled the numbers of stocks available in the two species, thereby facilitating examination of intraspecies variation and comparison of particular features of intraspecies variation found for the P. aurelia complex. Variant stocks were observed in P. jenningsi and in syngens 2, 3, and 4 of P. multimicronucleatum. In some cases the variant lacked the enzyme; in others, a change in mobility of the enzyme occurred that resulted in an electrophoretic form similar to one common in another species. Unique phenotypes were displayed by the variants of syngen 2 in P. multimicronucleatum. Hypervariability for Esterase B was observed in this syngen, where, in addition, several subtypes were seen for three other esterases. Unique phenotypes and hypervariability were also noted in P. biaurelia. Clustered variations were observed in these species and in the P. aurelia species. Unlike the situation for members of the aurelia complex, where lack of geographical differentiation between stocks in the same species is a unique feature, some such differentiation does occur in P. multimicronucleatum-2. The frequency of variant stocks in P. jenningsi was similar to that observed in the aurelia sibling species. In contrast, a significantly higher frequency of variant stocks was found in syngens 2, 3, and 4 of P. multimicronucleatum.     

THE CHARACTERS OF SOME COLIFORM BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM GRASS AND GRASS SILAGE

The species of coliform bacterium predominant on fresh grass was found to be a capsulated type growing well at 30^o C. but unable to grow at 37^o C. For this reason it will not be detected by the presumptive test in bile salt-lactose broth at 37^o C. The name Bacillus (Aerebacter) aerogenes graminis is proposed for this species.
It is possible that conforms of the above type contribute to a small extent to the initial fermentation of the silage. Those coliforms giving the presumptive test at 37^o C. were found in such small numbers in the silage investigated that their influence was concluded to be negligible.
This work forms part of some research carried out under grant from the Research Council of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., to whom the authors wish to make due acknowledgement. Valuable help was also received from Dr S. J. Watson, who supplied samples of grass and silage-     

HUMAN NATURE AND ENHANCEMENT

Appeals to the idea of human nature are frequent in the voluminous literature on the ethics of enhancing human beings through biotechnology. Two chief concerns about the impact of enhancements on human nature have been voiced. The first is that enhancement may alter or destroy human nature. The second is that if enhancement alters or destroys human nature, this will undercut our ability to ascertain the good because, for us, the good is determined by our nature. The first concern assumes that altering or destroying human nature is in itself a bad thing. The second concern assumes that human nature provides a standard without which we cannot make coherent, defensible judgments about what is good.
I will argue (1) that there is nothing wrong, per se, with altering or destroying human nature, because, on a plausible understanding of what human nature is, it contains bad as well as good characteristics and there is no reason to believe that eliminating some of the bad would so imperil the good as to make the elimination of the bad impermissible, and (2) that altering or destroying human nature need not result in the loss of our ability to make judgments about the good, because we possess a conception of the good by which we can and do evaluate human nature. I will argue that appeals to human nature tend to obscure rather than illuminate the debate over the ethics of enhancement and can be eliminated in favor of more cogent considerations.     

中国野生的香根草种及其保护与分类问题

香根草(Vetiveria zizanioides)这一优良的水土保持和多用途植物目前在热带和亚热带地区广泛推广应用。中国的香根草栽培种主要是在50年代从国外引进的,但在广东和海南也有这一植物的野生种存在,尤其在广东的吴川有一块面积达6670 hm²左右的野生香根草群落。然而,由于人类活动的影响和过度开发利用,40年间,这片热带草原已遭到严重破坏,面积和蕴藏量都大幅度减少。为了不使这片珍贵的湿地消失殆尽,必须尽快采取措施加以保护。另外,香根草属的系统分类还很不完善,上述在中国分布的野生居群究竟是香根草还是野香根草(V. nigritana),迄今还没有定论,经对标本的研究鉴定,初步确定为香根草(Vetiveria zizanioides）。