Europe-wide reduction in primary productivity caused by the heat and drought in 2003

Future climate warming is expected to enhance plant growth in temperate ecosystems and to increase carbon sequestration. But although severe regional heatwaves may become more frequent in a changing climate, their impact on terrestrial carbon cycling is unclear. Here we report measurements of ecosystem carbon dioxide fluxes, remotely sensed radiation absorbed by plants, and country-level crop yields taken during the European heatwave in 2003. We use a terrestrial biosphere simulation model to assess continental-scale changes in primary productivity during 2003, and their consequences for the net carbon balance. We estimate a 30 per cent reduction in gross primary productivity over Europe, which resulted in a strong anomalous net source of carbon dioxide (0.5 Pg C yr(-1)) to the atmosphere and reversed the effect of four years of net ecosystem carbon sequestration. Our results suggest that productivity reduction in eastern and western Europe can be explained by rainfall deficit and extreme summer heat, respectively. We also find that ecosystem respiration decreased together with gross primary productivity, rather than accelerating with the temperature rise. Model results, corroborated by historical records of crop yields, suggest that such a reduction in Europe's primary productivity is unprecedented during the last century. An increase in future drought events could turn temperate ecosystems into carbon sources, contributing to positive carbon-climate feedbacks already anticipated in the tropics and at high latitudes.     

Electrochromic effect in domain-inversion process in LiNbO3： Ru： Fe crystals

A reversible electrochromic effect accompanying domain-inversion during the electrical poling process in LiNbO3： Ru： Fe crystals at room temperature has been observed. In electrode area, both electrochromism and domain-inversion occur alternately, and electrochromism is also reversible during back-switch poling, which is experimentally verified and whose mechanism is briefly explained using a microstrncture ferroelectric model. In addition, because of the enhancing elcctrochromic effect, different from the undoped LiNbO3 crystals, the coercive filed （21.0 kV/mm or so） measured in LiNbO3： Ru： Fe is lower than its breakdown field, thus providing a possible new technique for realizing the domain-inversion by constant electric field rather than a pulsed one.     

Insect antifeedant properties of an iridoid glycoside: ipolamiide

Summary A novel iridoid glycoside, ipolamiide fromStachytarpheta mutabilis was identified and found to inhibit feeding by several insect species. It is active at concentrations well below those occurring naturally.     

Effect of experimental diabetes on estradiol binding by the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus in ovariectomized rats

Summary In diabetic rats,³H-estradiol binding by the cytosol and nuclei of the anterior pituitary was lower than normal. Changes in affinity and receptor numbers were demonstrated by Scatchard analysis. Protein synthesis in diabetic pituitaries, however, was in the normal range.