Mutagenic effect on L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells by growth in ethylene oxide-sterilized polycarbonate flasks

Summary The mutation frequency of L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells to resistance to 5′-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine increased 6-to 14-fold after growth in ethylene oxide-sterilized polycarbonate culture flasks compared to growth in glass flasks. No comparable increase was observed when L5178Y cells were growth in identical polycarbonate culture flasks sterilized by autoclaving.     

Primary photochemical processes in isolated reaction centers of Rhodopseudomonas viridis

Picosecond and nanosecond spectroscopic techniques have been used to study the primary electron transfer processes in reaction centers isolated from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis. Following flash excitation, the first excited singlet state (P1) of the bacteriochlorophyll complex (P) transfers an electron to an intermediate acceptor (I) in less than 20 ps. The radical pair state (P⁺I^?) subsequently transfers an electron to another acceptor (X) in about 230 ps. There is an additional step of unknown significance exhibiting 35 ps kinetics. P⁺ subsequently extracts an electron from a cytochrome, with a time constant of about 270 ns. At low redox potential (X reduced before the flash), the state P⁺I^? (or P^F) lives approx. 15 ns. It decays, in part, into a longer lived state (P^R), which appears to be a triplet state. State P^R decays with an exponential time of approx. 55 μs. After continuous illumination at low redox potential (I and X both reduced), excitation with an 8-ps flash produces absorption changes reflecting the formation of the first excited singlet state, P1. Most of P1 then decays with a time constant of 20 ps. The spectra of the absorbance changes associated with the conversion of P to P1 or P⁺ support the view that P involves two or more interacting bacteriochlorophylls. The absorbance changes associated with the reduction of I to I^? suggest that I is a bacteriopheophytin interacting strongly with one or more bacteriochlorophylls in the reaction center.     

Rapid determination of chain length pattern in poly(ADP-ribose) samples

(³H)poly(ADP-ribose) synthesized from nuclei by incubation with (³H)NAD was released from protein by alkaline treatment and electrophoresed in dodecyl sulfate gels. Individual polymers up to at least 33 units were completely separated according to their chain length. Size distribution was visualized by fluorography of the gels, and quantified by radioactivity determination of sliced gels The method could be applied to crude nuclear extracts. It showed that nuclei of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells produced a poly(ADP-ribose) pattern distinctly different from that of rat liver nuclei.     

Boophilus microplus: characterization of larval proteases.

Cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni were treated with undecenyl-pseudothiourea. After centrifugation, they agglutinated into a mass. Resuspended in water, they remained immobilized. When injected sub-cutaneously into mice, they produced bisexual infections. The immobilizing drug effect, together with a reduced worm recovery rate, are time and concentration dependent. The cercariae become avirulent (99.8%) only when the flame cell is affected. Immobilizing and “cercaricidal” effects are not necessarily related properties; the latter can be determined only by in vivo tests of infectivity. No protection against reinfection was noticed in mice injected with immobilized cercariae of reduced virulence. The immobilized cercariae produced infections with a 0.7% worm recovery rate by percutaneous exposure, compared to 2.2% by subcutaneous injection. Normal cercariae produced infections with average recovery rates of 11.1% subcutaneously and 45% percutaneously.     

Separation of two HMM-S1 species from white muscle myosin

Heavy meromyosin subfragment 1 was resolved by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose into two fractions characterized by the nature of the alkali light chains present. It was shown that even in an HMM-S1 preparation with an extensive fragmentation of the heavy chain a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis differentiates alkali light chains among the light fragmentation components. A non-fragmented HMM-S1 was obtained from a papain digest of myofibrils and the chromatographic analysis supplied further evidence of the separation of the two species of HMM-S1 present in rabbit white muscle myosin.     

Improving measurements of the falling trajectory and terminal velocity of wind‐dispersed seeds

Seed dispersal by wind is one of the most important dispersal mechanisms in plants. The key seed trait affecting seed dispersal by wind is the effective terminal velocity (hereafter “terminal velocity”, V _t ), the maximum falling speed of a seed in still air. Accurate estimates of V _t are crucial for predicting intra‐ and interspecific variation in seed dispersal ability. However, existing methods produce biased estimates of V _t for slow‐ or fast‐falling seeds, fragile seeds, and seeds with complex falling trajectories. We present a new video‐based method that estimates the falling trajectory and V _t of wind‐dispersed seeds. The design involves a mirror that enables a camera to simultaneously record a falling seed from two perspectives. Automated image analysis then determines three‐dimensional seed trajectories at high temporal resolution. To these trajectories, we fit a physical model of free fall with air resistance to estimate V _t . We validated this method by comparing the estimated V _t of spheres of different diameters and materials to theoretical expectations and by comparing the estimated V _t of seeds to measurements in a vertical wind tunnel. V _t estimates closely match theoretical expectations for spheres and vertical wind tunnel measurements for seeds. However, our V _t estimates for fast‐falling seeds are markedly higher than those in an existing trait database. This discrepancy seems to arise because previous estimates inadequately accounted for seed acceleration. The presented method yields accurate, efficient, and affordable estimates of the three‐dimensional falling trajectory and terminal velocity for a wide range of seed types. The method should thus advance the understanding and prediction of wind‐driven seed dispersal.     

盐碱池塘围隔生态系统的悬浮物结构及有机碳库储量

1 998年 4～ 7月对高青盐碱池塘单养鲢和罗非鱼围隔生态系统颗粒悬浮物构成和各有机碳库储量及动态进行了研究。结果表明 ,浮游生物的干重 (PZ)占总颗粒悬浮物干物质 (TS)的 4.2 6%～ 2 5 .97% ,平均 1 2 %。各围隔浮游植物干重(DWP)平均值变化范围为 0 .1 6～ 0 .70 mg/L,有鱼围隔均比无鱼围隔的大。浮游动物干重 (DWZ)平均值变化范围为0 .3 2～ 2 .81 mg/L,养鲢围隔中最小 ,小于无鱼对照围隔 ,养罗非鱼围隔明显高于养鲢围隔。颗粒悬浮物的灰分含量平均值为 42 .3 8%。溶解有机碳 (DOC)、颗粒有机碳 (POC)库储量平均值分别为 5 .40± 1 .61 mg C/L和 1 .96± 0 .96mg/L。各处理围隔间颗粒有机物的 C/N比的平均值比较接近 ,总平均值为 6.97± 0 .2 4。 TOC、DOC和 POC比例为 1∶ 0 .73∶0 .2 7。浮游生物碳和腐质颗粒碳占 POC的比例的平均值分别为 3 4.65 %和 65 .3 5 %。腐质颗粒碳、浮游动物碳与浮游植物碳的比例为 9.2 9∶ 3 .71∶ 1。浮游生物碳中浮游动物碳占 78.8% ,浮游植物碳占 2 1 .2 %。浮游动物碳比浮游植物碳高 ,这可能是内陆盐水的通性。盐碱池塘围隔生态系统颗粒有机碳 (POC,mg C/L)与浮游植物叶绿素 a(Chla,μg/L)和悬浮颗粒有机物 (SO,mg/L)之间存在显著的正相关关系 ,其回归方程分别为     

平衡施肥对缺磷红壤性水稻土的生态效应

为了研究平衡施肥对缺磷水稻土的生态效应,对长期缺施磷肥水稻土进行了3.5年平衡施肥试验。试验采取盆栽水稻的方式,在长期缺施磷肥的红壤性水稻土上比较不施磷肥（NK）、平衡施用氮磷钾无机肥（NPK）、无机氮磷钾肥配施硅肥（NPKSi）、无机氮磷钾肥配施有机肥（无机肥占3/5）、NPK基础上增施磷肥（NKhP）、NPKM基础上增施磷肥（NKhPM）处理的土壤肥力、土壤微生物特性、土壤磷的渗漏量以及地上部水稻产量、养分利用率、磷肥利用率的变化。试验表明,平衡施肥处理NPK、NPKSi、NPKM、NKhPM显著提高水稻产量,比不施磷肥（NK）平均增产147%,其中NPKM提高152%;能提高土壤肥力,比不施磷肥土壤有机质含量平均提高18.5%,其中NPKM提高30.1%;显著提高土壤微生物生物量,比不施磷肥土壤微生物生物量碳（MBC）平均提高57.2%,其中NPKM提高87.1%;提高氮素、钾素养分利用率,比不施磷肥平均分别提高120.3%、33.6%,其中NPKM分别提高152%、43%。而长期重施无机磷肥处理（NKhP）虽然水稻产量比不施磷肥处理提高125.1%,但因土壤中磷酸根离子含量过高影响土壤微生物正常生长,土壤微生物活度比不施磷处理降低9.4%,土壤微生物量碳（MBC）降低2.4%,稻田土壤微生物生态系统质量劣化。此外,重施磷肥处理（包括NKhP、NKhPM）易导致稻田水体的磷污染。各处理比较,NPKM综合生态效应最佳,以下依次是NKhPM、NPKSi、NPK,NKhP,NKhP对稻田土壤微生物生态系统产生负效应。根据试验结果,平衡施肥是恢复缺磷水稻土的有效措施,其中在平衡施用氮磷钾化肥的基础上增施有机肥或硅肥效果较好。     

不同覆膜方式对旱砂田土壤水热效应 及西瓜生长的影响

早春低温胁迫和生育期干旱胁迫是进一步提高旱砂田西瓜产量的主要限制因素。为提高旱砂田早春土壤温度和自然降水利用效率,在西北干旱区的旱砂田上开展了不同覆膜方式的对比试验,研究了全覆膜(FM)、起垄覆膜(RM)、半覆膜(HM)和不覆膜(CK)4个处理下旱砂田土壤水热效应及对西瓜产量和品质的影响。结果表明,不同覆膜方式0-25cm土壤温度日变化均以"S"的温波形式由表层向深层土壤传递,土层每加深5cm,土壤温波位相依次推移1h;不同覆膜方式0-25cm土层增温效应表现为FM>RM>HM>CK,日平均温度较CK分别提高2.8、2.0,1.8℃。FM和RM是影响旱砂田西瓜生长前期土壤水分变化的主要覆膜方式,播种至幼苗期,RM具有明显的集雨效果,抽蔓期FM具有显著的保墒效果。覆膜加快了旱砂田西瓜的生长,蔓长、叶绿素含量和叶面积指数均明显高于CK, FM、RM和HM产量分别较CK增加145.81%、99.32%和95.46%,西瓜可溶性固形物含量和可溶性糖含量均表现为FM>RM>HM>CK,而维生素C、粗纤维和有效酸含量受覆膜方式的影响较小。综合分析,FM和RM是旱砂田西瓜生产中优选的覆膜方式。     

海南霸王岭天然次生林边缘效应下木质藤本与树木的关系

选择海南岛霸王岭天然恢复60 a的次生林样地中形成年限为17和13年的边缘,分别设置4条10 m100 m的样带,研究边缘效应下dbh ≥1 cm树木的攀藤率、被藤本攀附的频度和每木藤本数随距边缘距离的变化。结果表明：在0.8 hm2的样带中,树木的攀藤率分别为44.58%（17年边缘）和32.63%（13年边缘）。2种边缘中,dbh 1—5 cm、5—10 cm树木的攀藤率都随距离发生了变化,17年边缘中dbh ＞20 cm和13年边缘中dbh 10—20 cm树木的攀藤率都没有随距离的变化而变化。树木被藤本攀附的频度随距边缘距离的增加而降低,攀附3株以上藤本的树木最少,在17年边缘中变化趋势较明显;攀附1株藤本的树木最多,在13年边缘中变化明显。17年边缘中每木藤本数随距离增加而降低。在边缘形成初期,边缘形成年限对每木藤本数产生了影响,其在17年边缘中下降程度较大,但总体高于13年边缘中。