The ESA Kyoto-Inv project

Switzerland participates to the Kyoto-Inv project, initiated in November 2002 in the framework of the Data User Programme of the ESA. The aim is to learn more about the potential of remote sensing techniques for greenhouse gas reporting under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities. Three regions were chosen for which data were made available to serve as ground truth. The Prototype phase of the project has yielded promising results that may help for reporting under the KP on LULUCF activities. The reasons of the limitations of the project have been identified along with the necessary steps for improvements. We consider that, in the future, Switzerland may greatly benefit from operational services in this field. Our next request to the project is a full coverage of Switzerland using remote sensing.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Nature and expression of dihydropyridine-sensitive and -insensitive calcium currents in hair cells of frog semicircular canals

Ca(2+) currents in hair cells of the frog crista ampullaris were studied using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Currents were recorded in situ from hair cells in peripheral, intermediate and central regions of the sensory epithelium. Two types of Ca(2+) currents were found: a partially inactivating current that was expressed by nearly all central cells and by about 65% of intermediate and peripheral cells, and a sustained current expressed by the remaining cell population. The mean Ca(2+) current amplitude was larger in intermediate cells than in central or peripheral cells. The two types of Ca(2+) currents were composed of two components: a large, nifedipine-sensitive (NS) current and a small, nifedipine-insensitive (NI) current. The latter was resistant to SNX-482, omega-conotoxin MVIIC and omega-agatoxin IVA and to omega-conotoxin GVIA, antagonists of R, P/Q and N-type Ca(2+) channels. The amplitude of NS and NI currents varied among peripheral cells, where the current density gradually increased from the beginning of the region toward its end. No significant variation of Ca(2+) current density was detected in hair cells of either intermediate or central regions. These results demonstrate the presence of regional and intraregional variations in the expression of L and non-L Ca(2+) channels in the frog crista ampullaris. Finally, immunocytochemical investigations revealed the presence of Ca(2+) channel subunits of the alpha(1D) type and the unexpected expression of alpha(1B)-subunits