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A number of large-eddy simulations (LES) are performed for the calculation of the airflow over a horizontally homogeneous forest canopy for a wide range of thermal stability classes. For the first time, results from LES of a stably stratified canopy are also presented. Simulation results compare favourably to recent field measurements over a pine forest in south-eastern Sweden. The simple heat source model was found to perform adequately and to yield within-canopy heat-flux profiles typically observed for stable conditions in the field. Evidence was found for a layer of unstably stratified air in the canopy trunk space under stable stratification. The importance of a secondary wind-speed maximum is emphasized in stable conditions. Examination of the budget equation of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) revealed that, during stable stratification, pressure transport plays an increasingly important role in supplying the canopy region with TKE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. Plant cells typically contain a large central vacuole that confines the cytoplasm and organelles to the periphery of the cell and the vicinity of the nucleus. These two domains are often connected by transvacuolar strands (TVS), thin tubular structures that traverse the vacuole. The TVS are thought to act as important transport routes for the distribution of organelles and metabolites, and also to play a role in the positioning of the nucleus. Most TVS depend on internal actin filaments for their existence, and rearrangements of TVS can therefore indicate modifications in the actin cytoskeleton. In this study we describe time-lapse observations of tobacco BY-2 suspension-cultured cells that document the dynamic behavior of TVS. The TVS formed, branched, and collapsed, and their attachment points in the nuclear or cortical cytoplasm, as well as on other TVS, moved around. These dynamic rearrangements were inhibited within 5?min by the myosin inhibitor 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM). In particular, the movements of TVS attachment points and the variations in TVS length were significantly reduced in the presence of the drug. Similarly, movements of the nucleus were reduced by two thirds in BDM-treated cells. The number of TVS, together with the number of attachment and branch points, also dropped during BDM treatment. All effects of BDM on TVS dynamics were reversible upon removal of the drug. These results suggest a role for myosin motors in the rearrangement of TVS, which is likely to occur through their interaction with actin filaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diageotropica ( dgt) mutation has been proposed to affect either auxin perception or responsiveness in tomato plants. It has previously been demonstrated that the expression of one member of the Aux/IAA family of auxin-regulated genes is reduced in dgt plants. Here, we report the cloning of ten new members of the tomato Aux/IAA family by PCR amplification based on conserved protein domains. All of the gene family members except one ( LeIAA7) are expressed in etiolated tomato seedlings, although they demonstrate tissue specificity (e.g. increased expression in hypocotyls vs. roots) within the seedling. The wild-type auxin-response characteristics of the expression of these tomato LeIAA genes are similar to those previously described for Aux/IAA family members in Arabidopsis. In dgt seedlings, auxin stimulation of gene expression was reduced in only a subset of LeIAA genes ( LeIAA5, 8, 10, and 11), with the greatest reduction associated with those genes with the strongest wild-type response to auxin. The remaining LeIAA genes tested exhibited essentially the same induction levels in response to the hormone in both dgt and wild-type hypocotyls. These results confirm that dgt plants can perceive auxin and suggest that a specific step in early auxin signal transduction is disrupted by the dgt mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypothesis was tested that reversible riboflavin (RF)-binding sites are part of the photoreceptor in Euglena gracilis. Published evidence shows that the phototactic stimulus - with a flavin-type action spectrum - is perceived at the paraflagellar body (PFB). Flagella with PFBs were isolated from Euglena gracilis by a combined cold and Ca shock. Saturable binding of [C]RF was demonstrated with such preparations, in the oxidized state as well as under reducing conditions in the presence of dithionite. Affinities for RF were high: K (oxidized)=0.08 μM, and K (reduced)=0.7 μM. Flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide showed lower binding affinities. The in vitro RF binding per unit of protein was enriched approximately tenfold in the flagellar preparations when compared with homogenates of whole cells. The number of (reduced) binding sites per entire flagellum was determined to be in the order of 10. This number is in line with published estimates of chromophores bound in or at the PFB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the demographic trends in Austria and includes international comparisons of the declining birth rate and increasing life expectancy in industrial European countries. A study is presented on Austrian family policy, public opinion of it, and the compatibility of family and work. The study interviewed around 1,500 Austrians between the ages of 20 and 54.