Ação de fitoreguladores nos teores de macronutrientes em tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

This research deals with the effects of exogenous growth regulators on mineral nutrition of the tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. 'Miguel Pereira'). To study the influence on mineral nutrition, (2-chloroethyl) trimethilammonium chloride (CCC), at concentration of 2,000 ppm, succinic acid-2,2-dimethylhydrazide (SADH) (4,000 ppm), gibberellic acid (GA) (100 ppm), (2-chloroethyl) phosphonic acid (CEPA) (200 ppm), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (100 ppm), and 6-furfurylamino purine (FAP) (500 ppm) were applied. Higher levels of nitrogen, calcium and magnesium occurred in the stem of plants sprayed with CCC. Treatments with FAP. SADH and CEPA demonstrated an increase in nitrogen levels in the stem. CEPA also increased calcium contents in stems. Growth regulators used did not alter the levels of macronutrients in leaves of tomatoes in relation to check plants.Verificaram-se os efeitos da aplicação de reguladores vegetais na nutrição mineral do tomateiro. Para isto aplicaram-se, em plantas com 4 folhas, cloreto de (2-cloroetil) trimetilamônio (CCC) 2.000 ppm, ácido succínico-2,2-dimetilhidrazida (SADH) 4.000 ppm, ácido giberélico (GA) 100 ppm, ácido (2-cloroetil) fosfônico (CEPA) 200 ppm, ácido 3-indolacético (IAA) 100 ppm e 6-furfurilaminopurina (FAP) na concentração de 500 ppm. Níveis mais elevados de nitrogênio, cálcio e magnésio foram determinados nas hastes de plantas pulverizadas com CCC. Tratamento com CEPA promoveu aumento nos teores de nitrogênio e cálcio nas hastes de tomateiro. Níveis mais elevados de nitrogênio foram determinados nas hastes de plantas tratadas com SADH e FAP. Os reguladores de crescimento utilizados não afetaram os níveis de macronutrientes nas folhas do tomateiro com relação às controle

The effect of the geomagnetic field on cosmic ray energy estimates and large scale anisotropy searches on data from the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present a comprehensive study of the influence of the geomagnetic field on the energy estimation of extensive air showers with a zenith angle smaller than $60^\circ$, detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The geomagnetic field induces an azimuthal modulation of the estimated energy of cosmic rays up to the ~2% level at large zenith angles. We present a method to account for this modulation of the reconstructed energy. We analyse the effect of the modulation on large scale anisotropy searches in the arrival direction distributions of cosmic rays. At a given energy, the geomagnetic effect is shown to induce a pseudo-dipolar pattern at the percent level in the declination distribution that needs to be accounted for.Comment: 20 pages, 14 figure

Fructan and its relationship to abiotic stress tolerance in plants

Numerous studies have been published that attempted to correlate fructan concentrations with freezing and drought tolerance. Studies investigating the effect of fructan on liposomes indicated that a direct interaction between membranes and fructan was possible. This new area of research began to move fructan and its association with stress beyond mere correlation by confirming that fructan has the capacity to stabilize membranes during drying by inserting at least part of the polysaccharide into the lipid headgroup region of the membrane. This helps prevent leakage when water is removed from the system either during freezing or drought. When plants were transformed with the ability to synthesize fructan, a concomitant increase in drought and/or freezing tolerance was confirmed. These experiments indicate that besides an indirect effect of supplying tissues with hexose sugars, fructan has a direct protective effect that can be demonstrated by both model systems and genetic transformation

Profit enhancing competitive pressure in vertically related industries

Coevolution of viruses and their hosts represents a dynamic molecular battle between the immune system and viral factors that mediate immune evasion. After the abandonment of smallpox vaccination, cowpox virus infections are an emerging zoonotic health threat, especially for immunocompromised patients. Here we delineate the mechanistic basis of how cowpox viral CPXV012 interferes with MHC class I antigen processing. This type II membrane protein inhibits the coreTAP complex at the step after peptide binding and peptide-induced conformational change, in blocking ATP binding and hydrolysis. Distinct from other immune evasion mechanisms, TAP inhibition is mediated by a short ER-lumenal fragment of CPXV012, which results from a frameshift in the cowpox virus genome. Tethered to the ER membrane, this fragment mimics a high ER-lumenal peptide concentration, thus provoking a trans-inhibition of antigen translocation as supply for MHC I loading. These findings illuminate the evolution of viral immune modulators and the basis of a fine-balanced regulation of antigen processing