Tree size and flowering intensity as affected by nitrogen fertilization in non-bearing orange trees grown under Mediterranean conditions

A field experiment was conducted in the South of Portugal with young (0-3 years old) non-bearing ‘Lane Late’ orange trees. Five nitrogen (N) rates were used in a randomised block design with three replicates. The 180 g N tree⁻¹ over three years led to the greatest canopy width (176 cm) and volume (2,697 dm³). The greatest rate applied (720 g N tree⁻¹ in the three years) led to the largest flower yield. Nitrogen concentration in the flowers significantly increased with fertilizer N, and also with the flowering period up to the 23^rd day, declining thereafter. Flower yield was strongly correlated (r = 0.99, p < 0.001) with flower N concentration. Nutrient composition of flowers and of mature leaves from the spring flush was compared. Significant correlations were found for N (r = 0.47, p <0.01), P (r = -0.49, p <0.01), K (r = 0.44, p <0.05) and Ca (r = 0.87, p <0.001), suggesting that flowers can be used as a tool to diagnose the nutritional status of trees. Canonical analysis (with N treatment as dummy-variables) showed strong relationships between canopy width and N, which were greater at the larger rates of fertilizer application, and strong and inverse relationships between K and Mg, also with the greatest N rates.     

Temperature response of oxygen uptake in brain mitochondria from normal and ischemic rats

Mitochondria isolated from rat brains following 30 min of complete (decapitation) ischemia showed a 3-fold increase in free fatty acid content, but no significant decreases in the total fatty acid or phospholipid content.This free fatty acid increase was associated with an altered mitochondrial function: a 50% inhibition of state 3 (+ ADP) respiration and a decrease in the respiratory control ratio from 5.5 to 3 to 24°C. The P:O ratio remained unchanged at 3, and there was no increase in stage 4 respiration. When glutamate and malate supported respiration was determined as a function of temperature in control mitochondria, the resulting Arrhenius plot of the state 3 respiration was biphasic with a transition temperature around 30°C, while ischemic mitochondria exhibited a linear Arrhenius plot with energy of activation (approximately 10 kcal/mol) similar to that of control mitochondria below the transition temperature.The difference in temperature response between control and ischemic mitochondria reflects a change in mitochondrial lipid composition, and is therefore a functional manifestation of the altered cerebral lipid composition commonly observed during ischemia.     

Synthesis of mixed diesters of ethanediol with N-acyl amino acids and fatty acids

Chemical synthesis of mixed diesters of ethanediol with N-acyl amino acids and fatty acids is described. The synthesis is performed in three steps: (1) preparation of N-acyl amino acids using fatty acid ester of N-hydroxyphthalimide as an acylating agent; (2) partial esterification of ethanediol with N-acyl amino acid, in tetrahydrofuran in presence of thionyl chloride; (3) further esterification of the monoester of ethanediol with a fatty acid, to a mixed diester, in presence of the same reagent.     

Specific pathway selection by the early projections of individual peripheral sensory neurons in the embryonic medicinal leech

In leech, the central annulus of each midbody segment possesses seven pairs of sensilla, which are mixed clusters of primary peripheral sensory neurons that extend their axons into the CNS where they segregate into distinct fascicles. Pathway selection by individual afferent growth cones of sensillar neurons was examined by double labeling using intracellular dye-filling with anitobody labeling in early Hirudo medicinalis embryos. The monoclonal antibody Lan3–2 was used because sensillar neuronal tracts are specifically labeled by this antibody. Examining 68 individually filled neurons we found that sensillar neuron growth cones bifurcate within the CNS, that they project long filopodia capable to sampling the local environment, and that all of them appeared to choose a single particular CNS fascicle without apparent retraction or realignment of growth cones. Furthermore, each side of the bifurcating afferent growth cones always chose the same fascicle, implying a specific choice of a distinct labeled pathway. By dye-filling individual central neurons (P-cells), we show that there are centrally projecting axons present at the time sensillar afferents enter the ganglionic primordia and select a particular fascicle, and we confirm that at least the dorsal peripheral nerve is likely to be pioneered by central neurons, not by the peripheral afferent. In the sensillum studied here, we sound examples of sensory neurons extending axons into one of all the avilable fascicles. Thus, an individual embryonic sensillum possesses a heterogeneous population of afferents with respect to the central fascicle chosen. This is consistent with the idea that segregation into distinct axon fascicles may be based upon functional differences between individual afferent neurons. Our findings argue strongly in favor of specific pathway selection by afferents in this system and are consistent with previous suggestions that there exists a hierarchy of cues, including surface glycoconjugates that mediate navigation of the sensillar growth cones and the fasciculation of their axons. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Scolytus stepheni sp. n. - a new species of bark-beetle (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Northern India with a key to Indian Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 species

A new species of bark-beetle from Kashmir, Scolytus stephenisp. n., dedicated to the late Professor Emeritus Stephen Lane Wood, is described and figured. Key to Indian Scolytus Geoffroy, 1762 species is provided.     

Mg2+ adenosine triphosphatase from cell envelopes of free-living and bacteroid forms of Rhizobium lupini strain NZP2257

A procedure for the purification of Mg2+ adenosine triphosphatase (EC 3.6.1.3) from free-living and bacteroid forms of Rhizobium lupini NZP2257 is described. The enzyme was released from cell envelopes using Triton X-100 and purified by gel filtration on Ultrogel AcA 22, followed by preparative gel electrophoresis on agarose. The purified ATPase had a molecular weight of about 355,000, as determined from sedimentation coefficients on sucrose gradients. Kinetic analysis of activity of the enzyme from free-living R. lupini showed it to be typical of F1-type Mg2+ ATPases from bacteria. Mg stimulated activity at pH 7.0, although, when present as the free ion, Mg caused non-competitive inhibition (K1 = 1.5 mM). Maximum activity with ATP occurred over a broad pH range from 6.0 to 10.5. ATP, GTP, and UTP, and, to a much lesser degree, CTP and ADP, were hydrolyzed by the enzyme. Hydrolysis of glucose 6-phosphate was not observed. The Km for ATP at pH 7.0 was 0.67 and for GTP 1.4 mM. ATPase activity was inhibited by ADP, and competitive with ATP (KI = 0.18 mM). Azide also caused inhibition but fluoride and DCCD had no effect. Native and sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoretic analysis revealed no obvious differences between ATPases from free-living and bacteroid forms of R. lupini.     

Properties of the nearest neighbor interchange metric for trees of small size

The crossover or nearest neighbor interchange metric has been proposed for use in numerical taxonomy to obtain a quantitative measure of distance between classifications that are modeled as unrooted binary trees with labeled leaves. This metric seems difficult to compute and its properties are poorly understood. A variant called the closest partition distance measure has also been proposed, but no efficient algorithm for its computation has yet appeared and its relationship to the nearest neighbor interchange metric is incompletely understood. I investigate four conjectures concerning the nearest neighbor interchange and closest partition distance measures and establish their validity for trees with as many as seven labeled vertices. For trees in this size range the two distance measures are identical. If a certain decomposition property holds for the nearest neighbor interchange metric, then the two distance measures are also identical at small distances for trees of any size.