Various physiological characteristics of Cj and C4 plants (14 species) grown along a salinity gradient were studied. The majority of plants occupying salt-marshes were succulent chenopods, mainly C4 annuals. The ash content of assimilating organs of plants was higher and osmotic potential lower in species grown under increasing soil salinity. The plants of the NADP-ME group accumulated more K than Na. Large amounts of Na"^ and CT characterized the NAD-ME plants and perennial C3 plants from sites with high soil salinity, Net photosynthetic rate (P^) and chlorophyll content were decreased in species grown under high salinity. Dark respiration was depressed by salinity to a lesser extent than P^.
The effects of CO2 concentration on spore germination, growth, and net photosynthetic rate (PN) of gametophytes of a tropical epiphytic fern, Pyrrosia piloselloides, were investigated over a 100-d period. Increasing CO2 concentration stimulated spore germination and enhanced gametophytic growth. The appearance of sexual organs and formation of sporophytes were accelerated with higher CO2 during growth. Radiant energy saturated PN and dark respiration rate also increased with increasing CO2 concentrations during growth. and Bee-Lian Ong, C. K-K. Koh, Yeow-Chin Wee.
Respiration changes intrathoracic pressure and lung volumes in a cyclic manner, which affect cardiac function. Invasive ventricular pressure-volume (PV) loops can be recorded during ongoing mechanical ventilation or in transient apnea. No consensus exists considering ventilatory mode during PV loop recording. The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of any systematic difference of bi-ventricular PV loop variables recorded during mechanical ventilation versus apnea. PV loops were recorded simultaneously from the right ventricle and left ventricle in a closed chest porcine model during mechanical ventilation and in transient apnea (n=72). Variables were compared by regression analyses. Mechanical ventilation versus apnea affected regression coefficients for important PV variables including right ventricular stroke volume (1.22, 95% CI [1.08-1.36], p=0.003), right ventricular ejection fraction (0.90, 95% CI [0.81-1.00], p=0.043) and right ventricular arterial elastance (0.61, 95%CI [0.55-0.68], p<0.0001). Right ventricular pressures and volumes were parallelly shifted with Y-intercepts different from 0. Few left ventricular variables were affected, mainly first derivatives of pressure (dP/dt(max): 0.96, 95% CI [0.92-0.99], p=0.016, and dP/dt(min): 0.92, 95% CI [0.86-0.99], p=0.026), which might be due to decreased heart rate in apnea (Y-intercept -6.88, 95% CI [-12.22; -1.54], p=0.012). We conclude, that right ventricular stroke volume, ejection fraction and arterial elastance were mostly affected by apnea compared to mechanical ventilation. The results motivate future standardization of respiratory modality when measuring PV relationships.
To determine the relationship between hyperventilation and recovery of blood pH during recovery from a heavy exercise, short-term intense exercise (STIE) tests were performed after human subjects ingested 0.3 g · kg-1 body mass of either NaHCO3 (Alk) or CaCO3 (Pla). Ventilation (V.E) - CO2 output (V.co2) slopes during recovery following STIE were significantly lower in Alk than in Pla, indicating that hyperventilation is attenuated under the alkalotic condition. However, this reduction of the slope was the result of unchanged V.E and a small increase in V.co 2.A significant correlation between V.E and blood pH was found during recovery in both conditions. While there was no difference between the V.E - pH slopes in the two conditions, V.E at the same pH was higher in Alk than in Pla. Furthermore, the values of pH during recovery in both conditions increased toward the preexercise levels of each condition. Thus, although V.E - V.co 2 slope was decreased under the alkalotic condition, this could not be explained by the ventilatory depression attributed to increase in blood pH. We speculate that hy perventilation after the end of STIE is determined by the V.E - pH relationship that was set before STIE or the intensity of the exercise performed., T. Yunoki ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
To understand the interactive effects of O3 and CO2 on rice leaves; gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, ascorbic acid and glutathione were examined under acute (5 h), combined exposures of O3 (0, 0.1, or 0.3 cm3 m-3, expressed as O0, O0.1, or O0.3, respectively), and CO2 (400 or 800 cm3 m-3, expressed as C400 or C800, respectively) in natural-light gas-exposure chambers. The net photosynthetic rate (PN), maximum (Fv/Fm) and operating (Fq'/Fm') quantum efficiencies of photosystem II (PSII) in young (8th) leaves decreased during O3 exposure. However, these were ameliorated by C800 and fully recovered within 3 d in clean air (O0 + C400) except for the O0.3 + C400 plants. The maximum PSII efficiency at 1,500 μmol m-2 s-1 PPFD (Fv'/Fm') for the O0.3 + C400 plants decreased for all measurement times, likely because leaves with severely inhibited PN also had a severely damaged PSII. The
PN of the flag (16th) leaves at heading decreased under O3 exposure, but the decline was smaller and the recovery was faster than that of the 8th leaves. The Fq'/Fm' of the flag leaves in the O0.3 + C400 and O0.3 + C800 plants decreased just after gas exposure, but the Fv/Fm was not affected. These effects indicate that elevated CO2 interactively ameliorated the inhibition of photosynthesis induced by O3 exposure. However, changes in antioxidant levels did not explain the above interaction. and H. Kobayakawa, K. Imai.
In order to evaluate the photosynthetic activity of a C3 leaf from the electron transport rate (ETR) of photosystem 2 (PS2), a new method was devised and examined using leaves of sweet potato. In this method, both surfaces of a leaf were sealed with transparent films to stop the gas exchange between the leaf and the atmosphere; hence the functions of both photosynthetic assimilation (CO2 uptake) and photorespiration (CO2 release) are restricted to the inside of the leaf. After both functional rates became equally balanced, ETR of the sealed leaf (ETRseal) was determined from the chlorophyll fluorescence. The measurements were conducted at different irradiances and leaf temperatures and by using leaves of different age. Under each measurement condition, ETRseal showed a close positive relationship with the photosynthetic potential, or the gross photosynthetic rate measured in the air of 2 % O2 (PG2%) before sealing. ETRseal may become an indicator to estimate or evaluate the photosynthetic activity of C3 leaves. and Haimeirong, F. Kubota, Y. Yoshimura.
Discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) is the main (23 individuals) breathing mode in resting adult Platynus assimilis. Few of the beetles tested (13 individuals) displayed a pattern of cyclic gas exchange or CGE. The burst of CO2 release in DGE and CGE was always accompanied by abdominal pumping (active ventilation or V). Seven individuals displayed a pattern of continuous respiration, characterized by regular abdominal pumping. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) in continuously breathing beetles was higher than in those using DGE and CGE. After treatment with sub-lethal doses of alpha-cypermethrin DGE ceased. Treated beetles were characterized by continuous pumping and almost regular periods of activity. RMR increased significantly after treatment with a pyrethroid., Irja Kivimägi ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Almost four decades have passed since the new field of ecosystem simulation sprang into full force as an added tool for a sound research in an ever-advancing scientific front. The enormous advances and new discoveries that recently took place in the field of molecular biology and basic genetics added more effective tools, have strengthened and increased the efficiency of science outputs in various areas, particularly in basic biological sciences. Now, we are entering into a more promising stage in science, i.e. 'post-genomics', where both simulation modelling and molecular biology tools are integral parts of experimental research in agricultural sciences. I briefly review the history of simulation of crop/environment systems in the light of advances in molecular biology, and most importantly the essential role of experimental research in developing and constructing more meaningful and effective models and technologies. Such anticipated technologies are expected to lead into better management of natural resources in relation to crop communities in particular and plant ecosystems in general, that might enhance productivity faster. Emphasis is placed on developing new technologies to improve agricultural productivity under stressful environments and to ensure sustainable economic development. The latter is essential since available natural resources, particularly land and water, are increasingly limiting.
We examined, under laboratory conditions, the influence of temperature (2 °C vs. 10 °C) on the physiological responses of two aquatic bryophytes from a mountain stream to artificially enhanced UV-B radiation for 82 d. These organisms may be exposed naturally to relatively low temperatures and high levels of UV-B radiation, and this combination is believed to increase the adverse effects of UV-B radiation. In the moss Fontinalis antipyretica, UV-B-treated samples showed severe physiological damages, including significant decreases in chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoid (Car) contents, Chl a/b and Chl/phaeopigment ratios, Chl a fluorescence parameters Fv/Fm and ΦPS2, electron transport rate (ETRmax), and growth. In the liverwort Jungermannia cordifolia, UV-B radiation hardly caused any physiological change except for growth reduction. Thus, this liverwort seemed to be more tolerant to UV-B radiation than the moss under the specific experimental conditions used, maybe partly due to the accumulation of UV-B absorbing compounds. The influence of temperature on the effects of UV-B radiation depended on the species: the higher the UV-B tolerance, the lower the influence of temperature. Also, different physiological variables showed varied responses to this influence. Particularly, the lower temperature used in our study enhanced the adverse effects of UV-B radiation on important physiological variables such as Fv/Fm, growth, and Chl/phaeopigment ratios in the UV-B-sensitive F. antipyretica, but not in the more UV-B-tolerant J. cordifolia. Thus, the adverse effects of cold and UV-B radiation were apparently additive in the moss, but this additiveness was lacking in the liverwort. The Principal Components Analyses (PCA) conducted for both species with the physiological data obtained after 36 and 82 d of culture confirmed the above results. Under natural conditions, the relatively high water temperatures in summer might facilitate the acclimation of aquatic bryophytes from mountain streams to high levels of UV-B radiation. This may be relevant to predict the consequences of concomitant global warming and increasing UV-B radiation. and E. Nuñez-Olivera ... [et al.].
Global climate change may act as a potent agent of natural selection within species with Mediterranean mountain ecosystems being particularly vulnerable. The aim of this research was to analyze whether the phenotypic plasticity of Sesleria nitida Ten. could be indicative of its future adaptive capability to global warming. Morphological, anatomical, and physiological leaf traits of two populations of S. nitida growing at different altitudes on Mount Terminillo (Italy) were analyzed. The results showed that leaf mass per unit leaf area, leaf tissue density, and total leaf thickness were 19, 3, and 31% higher in leaves from the population growing at 1,895 m a.s.l. (B site) than in leaves from the population growing at 1,100 m a.s.l. (A site), respectively. Net photosynthetic rate (PN) and respiration rate (RD) peaked in June in both A and B leaves [9.4 +- 1.3 μmol(CO2) m-2 s-1 and 2.9 +- 0.9 μmol(CO2) m-2 s-1, respectively] when mean air temperature was 16 +- 2°C. R D/P N was higher in B than in A leaves (0.35 +- 0.07 and 0.21 +- 0.03, respectively, mean of the study period). The mean plasticity index (PI = 0.24, mean of morphological, anatomical, and physiological leaf traits) reflected S. nitida adaptability to the environmental stress conditions at different altitudes on Mount Terminillo. Moreover, the leaf key traits of the two populations can be used to monitor wild populations over a long term in response to global change., L. Gratani, M. F. Crescente, V. D’Amato, C. Ricotta, A. R. Frattaroli, G. Puglielli., and Obsahuje bibliografii