Nitrogen transfer in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis

Most land plants are symbiotic with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which take up mineral nutrients from the soil and exchange them with plants for photosynthetically fixed carbon. This exchange is a significant factor in global nutrient cycles as well as in the ecology, evolution and physiology of plants. Despite its importance as a nutrient, very little is known about how AMF take up nitrogen and transfer it to their host plants. Here we report the results of stable isotope labelling experiments showing that inorganic nitrogen taken up by the fungus outside the roots is incorporated into amino acids, translocated from the extraradical to the intraradical mycelium as arginine, but transferred to the plant without carbon. Consistent with this mechanism, the genes of primary nitrogen assimilation are preferentially expressed in the extraradical tissues, whereas genes associated with arginine breakdown are more highly expressed in the intraradical mycelium. Strong changes in the expression of these genes in response to nitrogen availability and form also support the operation of this novel metabolic pathway in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.     

Defying death after DNA damage

DNA damage frequently triggers death by apoptosis. The irreversible decision to die can be facilitated or forestalled through integration of a wide variety of stimuli from within and around the cell. Here we address some fundamental questions that arise from this model. Why should DNA damage initiate apoptosis in the first place? In damaged cells, what are the alternatives to death and why should they be selected in some circumstances but not others? What signals register DNA damage and how do they impinge on the effector pathways of apoptosis? Is there a suborganellar apoptosome complex effecting the integration of death signals within the nucleus, just as there is in the cytoplasm? And what are the consequences of failure to initiate apoptosis in response to DNA damage?     

Quantifying the uncertainty in forecasts of anthropogenic climate change

Forecasts of climate change are inevitably uncertain. It is therefore essential to quantify the risk of significant departures from the predicted response to a given emission scenario. Previous analyses of this risk have been based either on expert opinion, perturbation analysis of simplified climate models or the comparison of predictions from general circulation models. Recent observed changes that appear to be attributable to human influence provide a powerful constraint on the uncertainties in multi-decadal forecasts. Here we assess the range of warming rates over the coming 50 years that are consistent with the observed near-surface temperature record as well as with the overall patterns of response predicted by several general circulation models. We expect global mean temperatures in the decade 2036-46 to be 1-2.5 K warmer than in pre-industrial times under a 'business as usual' emission scenario. This range is relatively robust to errors in the models' climate sensitivity, rate of oceanic heat uptake or global response to sulphate aerosols as long as these errors are persistent over time. Substantial changes in the current balance of greenhouse warming and sulphate aerosol cooling would, however, increase the uncertainty. Unlike 50-year warming rates, the final equilibrium warming after the atmospheric composition stabilizes remains very uncertain, despite the evidence provided by the emerging signal.     

性能分析和网格计算

随着信息技术的迅速发展，计算机领域需要持续地在性能理论、方法和工具上取得进步。性能科学和技术的发展包括性能建模、评价、测量、分析、检测、解释、优化和预测。传统的计算机性能分析局限在特定的并行处理机上，但随着网格的流行，高性能计算必须从单个并行机向大规模网络计算发展。本书正是填补了网格计算方面性能分析的空白，提供了对于网格共享资源的理论分析方法。本书综合了近年来在Dagstuhl Workshop上关于网格性能分析和分布式计算方面的论文，给读者展示了网格性能分析的模型、工具和应用。     

Turnover of lymphocytes in rat peritoneal fluid

Zusammenfassung Zellkinetische Untersuchungen an Ratten nach Injektion von H³-Thymidin ergaben eine rasche Markierung der grossen mononukleären Zellen innerhalb von 20 Min und eine langsaniere Markierung der kleinen Lymphozyten, für welche eine Turnover-Zeit von 23,4 Tagen errechnet wurde. Stündlich gelangen ca. 10⁵ kleine Lymphozyten in die Bauchhöhlenflüssigkeit.

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This research was performed under the auspices of the US Atomic Energy Commission.     

Intestinal IgA in the pig

Zusammenfassung Immunglobulin IgA wird beim Schwein immunochemisch im Darminhalt und immunofluoreszenzoptisch in der Mukose des gesamten Dünndarms nachgewiesen.