Water use efficiency and yield of winter wheat under different irrigation regimes in a semi-arid region

In irrigation schemes under rotational water supply in semi-arid region, the water allocation and irrigation scheduling are often based on a fixed-area proportionate water depth with every irrigation cycle irrespective of crops and their growth stages, for an equitable water supply. An experiment was conducted during the 2004- 2005 season in Haouz irrigated area in Morocco, which objective was 1) to evaluate the effects of the surface irrigation scheduling method (ex-isting rule) adopted by the irrigation agency on winter wheat production compared to a full ir-rigation method and 2) to evaluate drip irrigation versus surface irrigation impacts on water sav-ing and yield of winter wheat. The methodology was based on the FAO-56 dual approach for the surface irrigation scheduling. Ground measure- ments of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used to derive the basal crop coefficient and the vegetation fraction cover. The simple FAO-56 approach was used for drip irrigation scheduling. For surface irrigation, the existing rule approach resulted in yield and WUE reductions of 22% and 15%, respectively, compared with the optimized irrigation sched-uling proposed by the FAO-56 for full irrigation treatment. This revealed the negative effects of the irrigation schedules adopted in irrigation schemes under rotational water supply on crops productivity. It was also demonstrated that drip irrigation applied to wheat was more efficient with 20% of water saving in comparison with surface irrigation (full irrigation treatment). Drip irrigation gives also higher wheat yield com-pared to surface irrigation (+28% and +52% for full irrigation and existing rule treatments re-spectively). The same improvement was ob-served for water use efficiency (+24% and +59% respectively)

Environmental and neuroendocrine control of breeding activity in the dromedary camel

The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), a well-adapted desert mammal, is a seasonal breeder whose sexual activity occurs during the winter and spring. These periods coincide with food resources and climate conditions are favorable for offspring’s survival. The mechanisms involved in the control of this seasonality however still need to be elucidated. The aim of this review is to describe the reproductive patterns of the dromedary camel. This includes the geographical seasonal breeding distribution of this species taking into account the role of various physical environmental parameters notably temperature, day length and the amount of rainfall. Further, various aspects of seasonal breeding in male and female camels are discussed as well as the neuroendocrine factors that may control seasonal such phenomena. Finally, the putative roles of two hypothalamic neuropeptides, kisspeptin and (Arg) (Phe) related peptide, are proposed for the control of camel’s seasonal reproduction

Le contrôle environnemental et neuroendocrinien de l’activité saisonnière de la reproduction chez le dromadaire

Le dromadaire (Camelus dromedarius), qui est un mammifère bien adapté au désert est une espèce à reproduction saisonnière. Sa saison sexuelle a lieu durant l’hiver et le printemps. Ces périodes coïncident avec l’abondance des ressources alimentaires et des conditions climatiques favorables pour la survie de la progéniture. Toutefois les mécanismes impliqués dans le contrôle de cette saisonnalité restent encore mal élucidés. L’objectif de cette revue est de décrire les caractéristiques de la reproduction chez le dromadaire. Cela inclue la distribution géographique de sa saison sexuelle et son déclenchement possible par plusieurs paramètres environnementaux physiques, notamment la température ambiante, la photopériode et la quantité de précipitations. De plus, plusieurs aspects de cette saisonnalité ont été discutés chez le mâle et la femelle. Finalement, cette revue analyse les facteurs neuroendocriniens impliqués dans la saisonnalité de reproduction, notamment, le rôle putatif de deux neuropeptides hypothalamiques, le kisspeptin et le (Arg) (Phe) peptide apparenté. Mots-clés: Dromadaire, saisonnalité de reproduction, précipitations, photopériode, température ambiante, disponibilité alimentaire, kisspeptin, RFRP. The dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), a well-adapted desert mammal, is a seasonal breeder whose sexual activity occurs during the winter and spring. These periods coincide with food resources and climate conditions are favorable for offspring’s survival. The mechanisms involved in the control of this seasonality however still need to be elucidated. The aim of this review is to describe the reproductive patterns of the dromedary camel. This includes the geographical seasonal breeding distribution of this species taking into account the role of various physical environmental parameters notably temperature, day length and the amount of rainfall. Further, various aspects of seasonal breeding in male and female camels are discussed as well as the neuroendocrine factors that may control seasonal such phenomena. Finally, the putative roles of two hypothalamic neuropeptides, kisspeptin and (Arg) (Phe) related peptide, are proposed for the control of camel’s seasonal reproduction. Keywords: Dromedary camel, seasonal breeding, rainfall, photoperiod, ambient temperature, food availability, Kisspeptin, RFRP

Science and society in education

This booklet is for teachers who want to expand their teaching approaches to include socio-scientific issues which enrich and give meaning to core scientific principles. It is meant to enhance young people’s curiosity about the social and scientific world and raise important questions about issues which affect their lives. We call this approach Socio-Scientific Inquiry-Based Learning, or ‘SSIBL’ for short. Chapters 1 and 2 present an introduction to the theoretical background of SSIBL. In chapter 3, SSIBL will be approached from a classroom perspective, providing a simplified version of the framework and showing teaching examples

Environmental Citizenship in Primary Formal Education

The concept of Environmental Citizenship, as it has been developed in this project, calls for the development of specific awareness, attitudes, skills, behaviours and competences that need to be cultivated from early childhood for active civic participation. Primary formal education could provide opportunities for the achievement of these goals. In this chapter, we elaborate on how Environmental Citizenship, which provides the specifics of age and formal settings, could be approached and the educational strategies that could be recommended or avoided based on the existing literature. This chapter also provides an overview of the most important educational aims regarding the development of Environmental Citizenship in primary formal education. These include environmental sensitivity, a sense of justice, a basic understanding of ecological systems, necessary skills for the investigation of ecological and social phenomena, and action skills that relate to active participation in community issues. We suggest that successful educational interventions, integrated pedagogical approaches and key designing principles could promote Environmental Citizenship at primary schools. In addition, effective training and professional development programmes can equip teachers with the knowledge, values, skills and strategies necessary to implement Environmental Citizenship at this level

Circadian-Related Heteromerization of Adrenergic and Dopamine D4 Receptors Modulates Melatonin Synthesis and Release in the Pineal Gland

Dopamine and adrenergic receptor complexes form under a circadian-regulated cycle and directly modulate melatonin synthesis and release from the pineal gland

Circadian-Related Heteromerization of Adrenergic and Dopamine D4 Receptors Modulates Melatonin Synthesis and Release in the Pineal Gland

Dopamine and adrenergic receptor complexes form under a circadian-regulated cycle and directly modulate melatonin synthesis and release from the pineal gland

Identification of Pathway-Biased and Deleterious Melatonin Receptor Mutants in Autism Spectrum Disorders and in the General Population

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant and a synchronizer of many physiological processes. Alteration of the melatonin pathway has been reported in circadian disorders, diabetes and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, very little is known about the genetic variability of melatonin receptors in humans. Here, we sequenced the melatonin receptor MTNR1A and MTNR1B, genes coding for MT1 and MT2 receptors, respectively, in a large panel of 941 individuals including 295 patients with ASD, 362 controls and 284 individuals from different ethnic backgrounds. We also sequenced GPR50, coding for the orphan melatonin-related receptor GPR50 in patients and controls. We identified six non-synonymous mutations for MTNR1A and ten for MTNR1B. The majority of these variations altered receptor function. Particularly interesting mutants are MT1-I49N, which is devoid of any melatonin binding and cell surface expression, and MT1-G166E and MT1-I212T, which showed severely impaired cell surface expression. Of note, several mutants possessed pathway-selective signaling properties, some preferentially inhibiting the adenylyl cyclase pathway, others preferentially activating the MAPK pathway. The prevalence of these deleterious mutations in cases and controls indicates that they do not represent major risk factor for ASD (MTNR1A case 3.6% vs controls 4.4%; MTNR1B case 4.7% vs 3% controls). Concerning GPR50, we detected a significant association between ASD and two variations, Δ502–505 and T532A, in affected males, but it did not hold up after Bonferonni correction for multiple testing. Our results represent the first functional ascertainment of melatonin receptors in humans and constitute a basis for future structure-function studies and for interpreting genetic data on the melatonin pathway in patients