The effects of general anaesthetics on glucose and phosphate transport across the membrane of the human erythrocyte

A study has been carried out into the effects of clinically important general anaesthetics, althesin, thiopentone and propanidid, on the transport of glucose and phosphate across the membrane of the human erythrocyte. In general these three substances all inhibit both transport processes but with characteristic inhibition profiles and varying degrees of efficacy. Glucose transport was more sensitive to the hydrophobic steroids and phosphate transport to propanidid. Some hydrophobic agents, e.g., iodobenzene and its azide, were not inhibitory. Removal of cholesterol to some extent augmented the inhibitory effects of most of these compounds (not propanidid). It is argued that these effects are due to the penetration of the anaesthetics into the lipid bilayer and either subsequent disruption of the lipid annuli surrounding the integral membrane proteins and/or direct anaesthetic-protein interaction.     

Photostability and emission characteristics of In(III)octaethylporphyrin - and in(III)tetraphenylporphyrin-chloride

The absorption, emission and excitation spectra of indium(III) tetraphenylporphyrinchloride (In(III)TPPCl) and indium(III)octaethylporphyrinchloride (In(III)OEPCl) methanolic solutions have been studied and compared with their metal-free bases. The study reveals a strong interaction between indium ion and the porphyrin π-systems.The photolability of the above-mentioned compounds has been studied in deoxygenated methalonic solutions using sunlight and/or UV-light in excitation. A fragmentation mechanism is proposed to account for the consumption of the porphyrin systems.     

Changes in growth and oxidative response of leaves and nodules in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago ciliaris</Emphasis> during salt stress recovery

In the present study, we exposed Medicago ciliaris isolated from a saline sebhka and growing symbiotically with Sinorhizobium medicae to 100 mM of NaCl and followed this stress by a recovery period (complete NaCl withdrawal from the root medium for two or one weeks). This experiment was conducted in order i) to check whether a reduction in growth and nitrogen fixation could be reversed by alleviating salt stress and ii) to determine specific changes related to salt-induced growth and nitrogen fixation decline. Salt stress reduced growth of all organs (particularly nodules), leaf area, photosynthetic activity and nitrogen fixation. The depressive effect of salt was not linked to osmotic stress. The removal of saline conditions restored growth of all organs after 2 weeks of recovery, with aerial organs recovering quickly after 1 week. Both photosynthetic and nitrogen fixation recovered only after a 2 week period of recovery. Salt stress in these saline-tolerant plants was accompanied by oxidative damage (electrolyte leakage), which was more accentuated in nodules in comparison with leaves. The observed recovery in growth, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis was mainly linked to a preferential preservation of shoots growth owing to the maintenance of SOD activity (namely the isoforms A₂ and A₃); such maintenance would allow higher photosynthetic activity permitting an adequate supply of nodules with photoassimilates and thus facilitating stress withstand.     

The response of transgenic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica</Emphasis> species to salt stress: a review

Salt stress is considered one of the main abiotic factors to limit crop growth and productivity by affecting morpho-physiological and biochemical processes. Genetically, a number of salt tolerant Brassica varieties have been developed and introduced, but breeding of such varieties is time consuming. Therefore, current focus is on transgenic technology, which plays an important role in the development of salt tolerant varieties. Various salt tolerant genes have been characterized and incorporated into Brassica. Therefore, such genetic transformation of Brassica species is a significant step for improvement of crops, as well as conferring salt stress resistance qualities to Brassica species. Complete genome sequencing has made the task of genetically transforming Brassica species easier, by identifying desired candidate genes. The present review discusses relevant information about the principles which should be employed to develop transgenic Brassica species, and also will recommend tools for improved tolerance to salinity.     

Rearing performances and environmental assessment of sea cage farming in Tunisia using life cycle assessment (LCA) combined with PCA and HCPC

Purpose

The present study aims to understand the influence of rearing practices and the contributions of production phases of fish farming to their environmental impacts and determine which practices and technical characteristics can best improve the farms’ environmental performance. Another objective is to identify the influence of variability in farming practices on the environmental performances of sea cage aquaculture farms of sea bass and sea bream in Tunisia by using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering on principal components (HCPC) methods and then combining the classification with life cycle assessment (LCA).

Methods

The approach consisted of three major steps: (i) of the 24 aquaculture farms in Tunisia, 18 were selected which follow intensive rearing practices in sea cages of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and then a typology was developed to classify the studied farms into rearing practice groups using HCPC; (ii) LCA was performed on each aquaculture farm and (iii) mean impacts and contributions of production phases were calculated for each group of farms. Impact categories included acidification, eutrophication, global warming, land occupation, total cumulative energy demand and net primary production use.

Results and discussion

Results revealed high correlation between rearing practices and impacts. The feed-conversion ratio (FCR), water column depth under the cages and cage size had the greatest influence on impact intensity. Rearing practices and fish feed were the greatest contributors to the impacts studied due to the production of fish meal and oil and the low efficiency of feed use, which generated large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions. It is necessary to optimise the diet formulation and to follow better feeding strategies to lower the FCR and improve farm performance. Water column depth greatly influenced the farms’ environmental performance due to the increase in waste dispersion at deeper depths, while shallow depths resulted in accumulation of organic matter and degradation of water quality. Cage size influences environmental performances of aquaculture farms. Thus, from an environmental viewpoint, decision makers should grant licences for farms in deeper water with larger cages and encourage them to improve their FCRs.

Conclusions

This study is the first attempt to combine the HCPC method and the LCA framework to study the environmental performance of aquacultural activity. The typology developed captures the variability among farms because it considers several farm characteristics in the classification. The LCA demonstrated that technical parameters in need of improvement are related to the technical expertise of farm managers and workers and to the location of the farm.

     

Saccharum spontaneum L. ‘SES 208’ genetic linkage map combining RFLP- and PCR-based markers

A 527 marker linkage map ofSaccharum spontaneum L. SES 208 (2n = 64) was established by analyzing 208 single-dose (SD) arbitrarily primed PCR polymorphisms, 234 SD RFLPs, 41 double-dose (DD) and one triple-dose (TD) polymorphisms. A map hypothesis constructed using these markers (minimum LOD = 4.00, = 0.25 M) had 64 linkage groups with 13 SD, nine DD, and one TD markers unlinked. Eight chromosome homology groups were identified by using DD fragments as well as SD RFLPs that identified more than one linkage group. Linkages in repulsion phase were absent from the map, as found in two previous genetic studies of this species. Together, these data demonstrate that SES 208 displayed polysomic segregation, a genetic behavior typical of autopolyploid species. As with previous studies, it was concluded that SES 208 behaved like an auto-octoploid, which was also in agreement with the number of homology groups observed. A ² was used to test whether the 527 markers were randomly distributed throughout the genome: both arbitrarily primed PCR markers and RFLPs had a distribution that was statistically indistinguishable from random. The integrated arbitrarily primed PCR-RFLP map had a predicted genomic coverage of 93% (considering only 442 SD polymorphisms) and an average interval between markers of 6 cM. SD markers were used to estimate the genome size of SES 208 at ca. 33 00 cM.     

Pliocene facies and fossil contents of Qaret El-Muluk formation at Wadi El-Natrun depression, Western Desert, Egypt

Summary A sequence of late Pliocene sediments (Qaret El-Muluk Formation) covers large areas within Wadi El-Natrun depression; at the western periphery of the Nile Delta. The exposed sequence is composed of friable sands. mudstones, shales and minor limestones with combined total thickness of approximately 50 m. The fossil content consists of fresh and brackish water elements; charophytes, ostracods, gastropods, oysters and benthonic foraminifera. Planktonic forams which suggest marine influence have been also recorded. Terrestrial and aquatic continental vertebrate fauna includes mammals, reptiles, fish and aves. Several subtypes of ichthyoliths have been discovered in this study. Both lithological and paleontological data testify to a depositional environment which belongs to a marginal region where fluvial and marine deposition meet in shallow brackish lagoons. The sediments display changes from channelled fluvial sands to deltaic interbedded sands and mudstones to lagoonal shales and limestones to lacustrine chara limestones. Vertical stacking of facies is indicative of a series of transgressive-regressive events. The transgression brought shallow lagoonal conditions to the area. The transgressions were incomplete due to high rate of fluvial input. The lagoon dried up intermittently and calcretes and red brown soils were formed. Each regression is indicated by river generated clastic influx. During periods of active fluvial input, fluvial sediments prograded lagoonward. The clastic material was probably a mixture of reworked detritus from older sediments. An admixture of first cycle material from the basement rocks of the Red Sea hills cannot be ruled out. The diversity of provenance argues for several channels of a large river which existed during the late Pliocene.     

The genetic basis of spectral reflectance indices in drought-stressed wheat

Drought imposes a major constraint over the productivity of wheat, particularly in arid and semi-arid production zones. Here, the genetic basis of spectral reflectance indices was investigated in drought-stressed wheat by comparing, under two contrasting moisture regimes, the performance of an F₆ recombinant inbred line (RIL) population bred from a cross between the drought tolerant cultivar Pavon76 and the sensitive cultivar Yecora Rojo. The parents and RILs were genotyped with respect to both a set of microsatellite (SSR) loci and a number of known drought-responsive genes. In all, 28 quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling dry weight per plant, water content of the above-ground biomass, leaf water potential, canopy temperature, and spectral reflectance indices traits were identified. The loci were distributed over 11 chromosomes, belonging to each of the three wheat sub-genomes. There were important location-flanking markers Barc109 and Barac4 on chromosome 5B relating to dry weight per plant accumulation under the limited irrigation regime. The same region-harbored QTL associated with leaf water potential, canopy temperature, and ratio index under the limited irrigation regime. Linkage between the known drought-responsive genes and aspects of the drought response was established. Some of QTL were of substantial enough effect for their linked markers to be likely usable for the marker-assisted breeding of drought tolerance in wheat.