The impact of ozone fumigation and fertilization on chlorophyll fluorescence of birch leaves (Betula pendula)

 The impact of ozone fumigation on chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll content of birch trees grown at high and low fertilization were studied for 6-, 8-, and 12-week old leaves. Fluorescence parameters were measured with a portable fluorometer with its fibre optics tightly inserted in a gas exchange cuvette at light intensities from 0 to 220 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹. Ozone caused significant changes of primary photosynthetic reactions: a decrease of the quantum yield of photosystem II and an increase of non-photochemical quenching. In all leaves a biphasic light response of non-photochemical quenching was observed. Ozone fumigation shifted the onset of the second phase from a PFD of about 60 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ to about 30 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹. While the fertilizer concentration had no influence on this character, high fertilization supply of plants partially reduced O₃-induced damage. The light responses of Ft, Fm′ and NPQ observed in birch leaves grown in O₃-free air indicate the existence of at least two different processes governing energy conversion of the photosynthetic apparatus at PS II in the range of PFD 0–200 μmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹. The first phase was attributed to a rather slowly relaxing type of non-photochemical quenching, which, at least at low PFD, is thought to be related to a state 1–2 transition. The further changes of the fluorescence parameters studied at higher PFD might be explained by an increase of energy-dependent quenching, connected with the energization of the thylakoid membrane and zeaxanthin synthesis. A major effect of ozone treatment was a lowering of PS II quantum yield. This reflects a reduction of PS II electron transport and corresponds to the reduction of CO₂-fixation observed in ozonated leaves. Received: 24 September 1996 / Accepted: 27 January 1999     

Effect of Zinc on the Contents of Tomato Chloroplast DNA,RNA, Protein and Chl-Protein Complexes in Relation to Light

Changes of chloroplast DNA, RNA and protein contents in normal andzinc deficient tomato plants grown under different light intensity were studied in thispaper. It was shown that there is no much difference between normal and zinc deficient chloroplast DNA, RNA and protein e0ntents when the plants were grown underlower light intensity, while the DNA, RNA and protein contents of zinc deficient plantsdecreased dramatically under higher light intensity. The DNA and protein contentsof normal plants increased when light intensity was increased from 18000 lx to 45000 lx.The P700 Chl a-protein complexes and light harvesting Chl a/b-protein complexes of zincdeficient plants decreased seriously under higher light intensity.     

No escape: The influence of substrate sodium on plant growth and tissue sodium responses

1. As an essential micronutrient for many organisms, sodium plays an important role in ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Although plants mediate trophic fluxes of sodium, from substrates to higher trophic levels, relatively little comparative research has been published about plant growth and sodium accumulation in response to variation in substrate sodium. Accordingly, we carried out a systematic review of plants'' responses to variation in substrate sodium concentrations.
2. We compared biomass and tissue‐sodium accumulation among 107 cultivars or populations (67 species in 20 plant families), broadly expanding beyond the agricultural and model taxa for which several generalizations previously had been made. We hypothesized a priori response models for each population''s growth and sodium accumulation as a function of increasing substrate NaCl and used Bayesian Information Criterion to choose the best model. Additionally, using a phylogenetic signal analysis, we tested for phylogenetic patterning of responses across taxa.
3. The influence of substrate sodium on growth differed across taxa, with most populations experiencing detrimental effects at high concentrations. Irrespective of growth responses, tissue sodium concentrations for most taxa increased as sodium concentration in the substrate increased. We found no strong associations between the type of growth response and the type of sodium accumulation response across taxa. Although experiments often fail to test plants across a sufficiently broad range of substrate salinities, non‐crop species tended toward higher sodium tolerance than domesticated species. Moreover, some phylogenetic conservatism was apparent, in that evolutionary history helped predict the distribution of total‐plant growth responses across the phylogeny, but not sodium accumulation responses.
4. Our study reveals that saltier plants in saltier soils proves to be a broadly general pattern for sodium across plant taxa. Regardless of growth responses, sodium accumulation mostly followed an increasing trend as substrate sodium levels increased.

     

Photosynthetic Responses to Light Intensity in Intact Leaves of Some Coastal Desert and Tropical Rain Forest Plant Species in Atmospheres with Different CO2 Concentrations

The photosynthetic responses to light (A/light response) at different CO2 concentration levels were studied in five coastal desert plant species (two C4 species and three C3 species) and five tropical rain forest plant species (all C3' s) using LI-6400 Portable Photosynthesis System. The measurements were carried out in the Coastal Desert and Tropical Rain Forest mesocosms of Biosphere 2 located in Oracle, Arizona, USA. All the species measured had been growing in Biosphere 2 under very high CO2 concentrations (1500～4000 μmol · mol-1) for about four and half years. The authors measured A/light response curves in intact leaves of different species under a series of CO2 concentrations, 350 to 1500 μmol ~ mol-1. Except for the C4 grass, Panicurn maximum, the initial slopes and convexity (0) of A/light curves of all the species increased with the elevation of CO2 concentration. For most C3 species the light compensation points (LCP) and light saturation points (LSP) had increased when CO2 concentrations were elevated, especialy the LSPs. But for the C4 species, changes in LCPs and LSPs were small. In all the C3 species and the C4 shrub, Atriplesc canescens, the apparent maximum quantum yield of CO2 fixation (Φm, app) and maximum assimilation rate (Amax) increased under elevated CO2. But both Φmapp and Amax in Panicum maximum (C4) decreased. The Amax in Biosphere 2 increased by 127 % when CO2 concentration was doubled (from 375 to 750 μmol · mol-1), and C4 species by 39%. Such great enhancement could possibly be due to the fact that the plants had developed under very high CO2 concentration and large growth rooms in Biosphere 2.     

Food deprivation effects on carbohydrate levels and their relation to feeding responses of western cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis indifferens to spinosad bait

Abstract The nutritional state of tephritid fruit flies affects various behaviours. The present study aims to determine food deprivation effects on carbohydrate levels and their relation to feeding responses to spinosad bait (GF‐120^® Naturalyte^® Fruit Fly Bait; Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, Indiana), as measured indirectly by mortality, in western cherry fruit fly Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae). Sugar levels in 1–2‐day‐old flies exposed to sugar for 1 h and then deprived of sugar for 10–24 h decrease but, in flies with access to continuous sugar and no sugar, they increase and do not change, respectively. Sugar levels in 14–15‐day‐old flies that have had free access to yeast extract and sugar and are then deprived of it for 0 and 10 h do not differ but they are lower at 24 and 30 h. Mortalities of 1–2‐day‐old flies exposed to sugar for 1 h and then deprived of it for 0–24 h progressively increase but they do not increase in flies given no sugar because the mortalities in this treatment are equally high at all times. By contrast, mortalities of 14–15‐day‐old flies deprived of food increase from 0 to 10–30 h but there are no differences from 10 to 30 h. Mortalities of 14–15‐day‐old flies deprived of food for 3 and 6 h also do not differ. Food deprivation effects on glycogen are similar, although glycogen occurs at lower levels than sugar. The results obtained suggest that R. indifferens flies need to feed multiple times on carbohydrate foods during the day to maintain their carbohydrate levels, that their responses to spinosad bait will increase if they do not, and that there may be age‐related effects on carbohydrate levels and responses to spinosad bait.     

Flu DRiPs in MHC Class Ⅰ Immunosurveillance

Since the publication of the DRiP(defective ribosomal product) hypothesis in 1996, numerous studies have addressed the contribution of DRiPs to generating viral antigenic peptides for CD8~+T cell immunosurveillance. Here, we review studies characterizing the generation of antigenic peptides from influenza A virus encoded DRiPs, discuss the many remaining mysteries regarding the nature of their co-translational generation, and speculate on where the future might lead.     

Differing climate and landscape effects on regional dryland vegetation responses during wet periods allude to future patterns

Dryland vegetation is influenced by biotic and abiotic land surface template (LST) conditions and precipitation (PPT), such that enhanced vegetation responses to periods of high PPT may be shaped by multiple factors. High PPT stochasticity in the Chihuahuan Desert suggests that enhanced responses across broad geographic areas are improbable. Yet, multiyear wet periods may homogenize PPT patterns, interact with favorable LST conditions, and in this way produce enhanced responses. In contrast, periods containing multiple extreme high PPT pulse events could overwhelm LST influences, suggesting a divergence in how climate change could influence vegetation by altering PPT periods. Using a suite of stacked remote sensing and LST datasets from the 1980s to the present, we evaluated PPT‐LST‐Vegetation relationships across this region and tested the hypothesis that enhanced vegetation responses would be initiated by high PPT, but that LST favorability would underlie response magnitude, producing geographic differences between wet periods. We focused on two multiyear wet periods; one of above average, regionally distributed PPT (1990–1993) and a second with locally distributed PPT that contained two extreme wet pulses (2006–2008). 1990–1993 had regional vegetation responses that were correlated with soil properties. 2006–2008 had higher vegetation responses over a smaller area that were correlated primarily with PPT and secondarily to soil properties. Within the overlapping PPT area of both periods, enhanced vegetation responses occurred in similar locations. Thus, LST favorability underlied the geographic pattern of vegetation responses, whereas PPT initiated the response and controlled response area and maximum response magnitude. Multiyear periods provide foresight on the differing impacts that directional changes in mean climate and changes in extreme PPT pulses could have in drylands. Our study shows that future vegetation responses during wet periods will be tied to LST favorability, yet will be shaped by the pattern and magnitude of multiyear PPT events.     

利多卡因减轻老年高血压病人ERCP手术中的心血管应激

目的:观察静脉给予利多卡因在ERCP手术中对老年高血压患者心血管应激反应的影响,观察该方法对静脉麻醉药丙泊酚用量的影响。方法:选择80例行ERCP手术的老年高血压患者,随机分为A组和B组。A组患者先给予1μg/kg的芬太尼随后再以2~3mg/sec的速度注入丙泊酚;B组患者先给予1.5mg/kg利多卡因随后再以2~3mg/sec的速度注入丙泊酚。待患者达到Ramsay 5级时开始进行ERCP检查。记录诱导前、诱导后、进镜、术中、退镜及苏醒时的血压、心率、呼吸频率及脉搏氧饱和度,并记录术中丙泊酚维持剂量及不良反应,包括呼吸暂停、呛咳、呃逆、体动的发生率。结果:两组患者基本情况无统计学差异。A组、B组患者在诱导后收缩压和舒张压明显低于诱导前。A组收缩压和舒张压在诱导后、进镜、术中、退镜时显著低于B组;A组呼吸频率在诱导后低于B组。B组不良反应发生率显著低于A组。B组丙泊酚用量明显少于A组(P0.05)。B组苏醒时间短于A组。结论:利多卡因复合丙泊酚应用于老年患者,麻醉效果好、血流动力学稳定,术中丙泊酚用量少,术后苏醒迅速值得在临床推广。