Influence de la concentration de la solution nutritive dans la phase de réinsertionin vivo des vitroplants d'Erica × darleyensis

Résumé La réinsertion de vitroplants d'Erica × darleyensis est suivie en chambre climatisée et sur perlite arrosée de solutions nutritives, en analysant pendant deux mois le développement des plantes. Quatre solutions nutritives ont été testées. Seule en varie les concentrations (A, A/2, A/4 et A/10); le rapport entre les différents éléments reste constant. Les vitroplants issus d'un milieu de multiplication gélosé A/2, transplantés sur les milieux de réinsertion subisent un choc nutritionnel: même les vitroplants transférésin vivo sur solution dont la concentration en macroéléments est le double de celle du milieu de multiplicationin vitro, enregistrent une diminution des teneurs minérales. L'influence de la nature des substrats de ces différents milieux (gélose ou perlite) semble prédominante à cet égard. Des milieux de réinsertion moyennement concentrés (A/2 ou A/4) constituent les meilleures références pour la précocité et l'optimisation de la production des rameaux. La production des rameaux est reliée à certains paramètres internes nutritionnels tels que: rapports élevés K⁺/(Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺) et Mn²⁺/Fe³⁺, et de hautes teneurs en azote et phosphore.

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Influence ofin vivo nutrient concentration inErica × darleyensis vitroplant transfer on perlite mediaI. Development and nutrient contents of transferred vitroplants

Development ofErica × darleyensis vitroplants was studied on perlite nutritive media in growth chamber conditions, during two months. Four nutritive solutions were examined. Only solution concentrations vary (solutions A, A/2, A/4 and A/10); the ratio between nutrients remains constant. Vitroplants from a A/2 agar-agar propagation medium, transferred on perlite media underwent a nutritional stress: even vitroplants transferred on a perlite medium whose concentration is twice that of the propagation medium, show a decrease in mineral content. The influence of the kinds of substrates (agar-agar or perlite) seems to be prevailing in this respect. Perlite media irrigated with mildly concentrated solutions (A/2 or A/4) are the best references for earliness and optimization of ramification. Branch production is correlated to internal nutritional parameters such as: high K⁺/(Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺) and Mn²⁺/Fe³⁺), a high nitrogen and phosphorus contents.

     

Effects of high hydrostatic pressures on the activity of the membrane ATPases of some organs implicated in hydromineral regulation.

1. The effects of high hydrostatic pressures have been studied on the ATPases extracted from tissues implicated in iono- and osmoregulation of a frog and various teleostean fishes. Pressure affects enzyme activity in the same qualitative way, whatever the tissue and the species considered. 2. The Mg2+ ATPase activity is maximally enhanced at 250 kg/cm2. A slight inhibition is observed at higher pressures up to 1000 kg/cm2. 3. The (Na+ + K+)ATPase is little affected by low pressures but strongly inhibited at 500 kg/cm2 and more. 4. The results are discussed in terms of pressure effects on the recently described protein-lipid interaction linked to ATPase activity.     

C, N, P concentrations and requirements of flowering Posidonia oceanica

The carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents in flowering and nonflowering shoots were compared after an important flowering event occurred in the Posidonia meadow of the Bay of Calvi. The flower formation caused a significant increase of C and a significant decrease of N concentrations in intermediate and adult leaves. Minimum daily requirements in mgshoot^-1day^-1 of 3.4 and 4.8 of C, 0.09 and 0.09 N, 0.01 and 0.02 of P respectively for nonflowering and flowering shoots were calculated. It shows that additional quantities of C and P are required for the inflorescence elaboration. The unchanged quantity of N required by the shoot for the inflorescence elaboration and the significant modification of N concentration in intermediate and adult leaves suggests that N is limited in the environment and that an efficient resorption of N occurs from leaves to ensure the inflorescence formation.     

Validation and Reliability of a Classification Method to Measure the Time Spent Performing Different Activities

The aim of this study was to validate the performance and reliability of results obtained from a classification model that measures time spent performing activities in confined (CE) and unrestricted (UE) environments. In CE, participants wore a pair of biaxial and/or triaxial accelerometers while performing pre-determined training activities classified as variants of lying down, dynamic standing, sitting, walking and running on two separate days. A classification model trained with activities performed in a specific order during the first day was developed to validate the activities performed in a random order on the second day (CE) and over 24 hours on a separate day (UE). The performance of the classification model was validated against triaxial accelerometers using six (x, y and step counts for arm and thigh) or eight (same as six features plus z axis) features. The reliability of the classification model was tested in both environments using six features. Results revealed an overall accuracy of 94% in CE and 90% in UE. The sensitivity in CE and UE was 94% and 95% for lying down, 88% and 80% for dynamic standing, 97% and 89% for sitting, 96% and 78% for walking and 90% and 64% for running, respectively. No significant differences were noted between performances obtained with six or eight features. Results were highly reproducible in both environments. The results obtained from the classification model were accurate and reproducible, and highlight the potential use of this approach in research to quantify the time spent performing different activities.     

Are Binary Copper Sulfides/Selenides Really New and Promising Thermoelectric Materials?

Copper sulfides and copper selenides have recently been reported as new and promising low‐cost and environmentally friendly thermoelectric materials. Here, it is shown that these materials have actually been studied for more than 190 years and the absence of commercial thermoelectric modules based on them stems from some major intrinsic issues related to these chalcogenides. Further development of these semiconductors will require addressing and solving these problems before large scale utilization can be considered.     

L’Observatoire hommes–milieux international Tessékéré (OHMi) : un outil de recherche pour étudier la complexité des écosystèmes arides du Sahel

In the Sahelian zone, the drought phenomenon, combined with anthropic factors (monoculture, bush fires, defect or deficit of manure, overgrazing, etc.), has seriously affected ecological great balances, involving a degradation of the natural resources as well as a fall in agricultural productions, pointing to a process of desertification. To face these challenges, in the course of the 8th ordinary session of the conference of the Heads of States of the African Union held in January 2007 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 11 countries adopted the Panafrican project called the Green Great Wall (GGW). The total objective of the GGW is to contribute i) to the fight against the desert's advance, ii) to the development of the Saharan-Sahelian zones toward a durable management of the natural resources, and iii) to the fight against poverty. It deals with the construction of a set of zones of afforestation crossing the whole African continent in the long term (7000 km of which are in the west). Even if some decisions in the launching phase the GGW must be taken quickly, one cannot do without investment in interdisciplinary research. In particular, associating fundamental research and applied research will allow us to ensure the success in the medium and long term of such a large-scale reforestation project. Research segmented in compartmentalized knowledge fields needed to get adequate tools, among which OHMi Tessékéré, initiated by INNEE (Centre national de la recherche scientifique [CNRS]), in partnership with UCAD, constitutes an example. This suitable scientific tool, capable of action flexibility, of self-financing capacity, anchored in civil society, ready to implement a pragmatic and local interdisciplinarity founded currently on the concept of socio-ecological system (SES), is the one we chose to conduct our studies on the Ferlo arid ecosystems.     

Improving the yellow pigment content of bread wheat flour by selecting the three homoeologous copies of Psy1

The yellow pigment content (YPC) of endosperm affects the quality and nutritional value of wheat grain products. Major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for endosperm YPC have been repeatedly mapped on chromosomes 7A and 7B in durum and bread wheats. The genes coding for phytoene synthase (PSY1), which is involved in the biosynthesis of carotenoids, generally co-segregate with these QTL, indicating their role in determining YPC. Here, to study the genetic factors underlying endosperm YPC in bread wheat, the sequence polymorphism of the homoeologous A, B and D copies of genes coding for PSY1, Psy-A1, Psy-B1, and Psy-D1, was studied in a worldwide core collection, which was also phenotyped for flour YPC. Seven novel alleles of Psy-A1 and two novel alleles of Psy-B1 were detected, which confirms the high level of polymorphism of these genes. Two major QTL with respective candidate genes Psy-A1 and Psy-B1 were identified in the distal region of chromosomes 7A and 7B using progeny of a cross between Apache and Ornicar, high and low YPC cultivars, respectively. Association mapping confirms the role of these genes in YPC and shows that the D copy also significantly influences this trait. These results indicate that breeders need to consider all three Psy1 copies when seeking to improve the YPC of wheat endosperm.     

A systematic revision of the five-spotted Hemichromis complex (Cichliformes: Cichlidae) from West Africa and Lower Guinea,with the description of a new species from Cameroon

Hydrobiologia - The group of large five-spotted Hemichromis species from West Africa and Lower Guinea was revised using an integrative approach combining morphometry (measurements,...