The present study devises two techniques for visualizing biological sequence data clusterings. The Sequence Data Density Display (SDDD) and Sequence Likelihood Projection (SLP) visualizations represent the input symbolical sequences in a lower-dimensional space in such a way that the clusters and relations of data elements are preserved as faithfully as possible. The resulting unified framework incorporates directly raw symbolical sequence data (without necessitating any preprocessing stage), and moreover, operates on a pure unsupervised basis under complete absence of prior information and domain knowledge.
Leaves developed at high irradiance (I) often have higher photosynthetic capacity than those developed at low I, while leaves developed at elevated CO2 concentration [CO2] often have reduced photosynthetic capacity compared with leaves developed at lower [CO2]. Because both high I and elevated [CO2] stimulate photosynthesis of developing leaves, their contrasting effects on photosynthetic capacity at maturity suggest that the extra photosynthate may be utilized differently depending on whether I or [CO2] stimulates photosynthesis. These experiments were designed to test whether relationships between photosynthetic income and the net accumulation of soluble protein in developing leaves, or relationships between soluble protein and photosynthetic capacity at full expansion differed depending on whether I or [CO2] was varied during leaf development. Soybean plants were grown initially with a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 950 µmol m-2 s-1 and 350 µmol [CO2] mol-1, then exposed to [CO2] ranging from 135 to 1400 µmol mol-1 for the last 3 d of expansion of third trifoliolate leaves. These results were compared with experiments in which I was varied at a constant [CO2] of 350 µmol mol-1 over the same developmental period. Increases in area and dry mass over the 3 d were determined along with daily photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthetic CO2 exchange characteristics and soluble protein content of leaves were determined at the end of the treatment periods. The increase in leaflet mass was about 28 % of the dry mass income from photosynthesis minus respiration, regardless of whether [CO2] or I was varied, except that very low I or [CO2] increased this percentage. Leaflet soluble protein per unit of area at full expansion had the same positive linear relationship to photosynthetic income whether [CO2] or I was varied. For variation in I, photosynthetic capacity varied directly with soluble protein per unit area. This was not the case for variation in [CO2]. Increasing [CO2] reduced photosynthetic capacity per unit of soluble protein by up to a factor of 2.5, and photosynthetic capacity exhibited an optimum with respect to growth [CO2]. Thus CO2 did not alter the relationship between photosynthetic income and the utilization of photosynthate in the net accumulation of soluble protein, but did alter the relationship between soluble protein content and photosynthetic characteristics in this species.
The photosynthetic response of 8 cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genotypes to changing irradiance was investigated under field conditions during the 1998 through 2000 growing seasons. Equations developed to describe the response of net photosynthetic rate (PN) to photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) demonstrated that, across all irradiances, the two okra leaf-type genotypes photosynthesized at a greater rate per unit leaf area than all of the six normal leaf-type genotypes. This superior photosynthetic performance of the okra leaf-type genotypes can be partially explained by their 13 % greater leaf chlorophyll content relative to that of the normal leaf-type genotypes. The 37 % reduction in leaf size brought upon by the okra leaf trait may have concentrated the amount of photosynthetic machinery per unit leaf area. Nevertheless, the lack of sufficient canopy leaf surface area suppressed the potential yield development that could accompany the higher PN per unit leaf area.
Larvae of Phormia regina (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) were reared, in isolation, upon either lamb's liver or meridic diets that varied in protein- and carbohydrate-content. An artificial diet containing 53% protein (by mass of dry ingredients) resulted in the heaviest P. regina pupae and shortest development time when compared with larvae reared upon lamb`s liver and all other diets. In diets where the concentration of protein was less than that of carbohydrate, the level of carbohydrate became important. In a diet containing 22.6% protein it was neither the diet with the highest (51%) nor lowest (17%) concentration of carbohydrate that adversely affected development. Specifically, an intermediate level of carbohydrate (33.9%) resulted in an extended larval period, together with increased mortality and reduced pupal weights. Larvae reared in groups of 10 on either liver or a diet containing 53% protein were heavier than those reared in isolation. Group-rearing hastened development on liver, but not on the meridic diet. The results are discussed in relation to the nutritional ecology of saprophagous calliphorids.
Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and carrot (Daucus carota L.), plants with underground storage organs grown in the field, were exposed to either ambient (UVA) or 20 % UV-B (UVE) enhanced solar radiation till their root yield stage. In radish, UVE produced a significant increase in shoot and root fresh mass (FM), increase in the contents of chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, and total proteins per unit FM, Hill reaction rate, and root yield. In contrast, carrot responded negatively to UVE showing a loss in the above parameters. and S. M. J. Nithia, N. Shanthi, G. Kulandaivelu.
Plants of Brassica juncea L. cv. T-59 were supplied with 50 or 100 µM nickel (Ni50, Ni100) at 10 d after sowing (DAS), and sprayed with 28-homobrassinolide (HBR) at 20 DAS. The plants treated with Ni alone exhibited reduced growth, net photosynthetic rate, content of chlorophyll, and the activities of nitrate reductase (E.C.1.6.6.1) and carbonic anhydrase (E.C. 4.2.1.1) at observed 40 DAS, whereas, the contents of peroxidase (PER), catalase (CAT), and proline were increased. However, the spray of HBR partially neutralized the toxic effect of Ni on most of the parameters. Moreover, the treatment of HBR in association with either of the Ni concentration boosted the contents of PER and CAT in leaves and that of proline both in leaves and roots. and M. Masidur Alam ... [et al.].
Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds were surface-sterilized and soaked for 5, 10, or 15 h in 1, 10, or 100 μM aqueous solution of kinetin (KIN). The potted plants were then analyzed at 30, 50, and 70 days after emergence (DAE) for dry mass (DM), leaf area (LA), chlorophyll (Chl) content, stomatal conductance (g s), carbonic anhydrase (CA), and nitrate reductase (NR) activity, total protein content, and net photosynthetic rate (PN). Capsule number and seed yield were determined at harvest (90 DAE). Treatment with the growth regulator was found to appreciably enhance all the determinants, with most prominent results being obtained following 10-h soaking with 10 μM KIN, in which case the values for DM, LA,
PN, CA and NR activity, and seed yield were elevated by 55, 63, 43, 38, 29, and 23% respectively over the control at the 50-day stage. and S. H. Shah.
Spearmint cultivars MSS-5, Arka, and Neera grown in nutrient culture in controlled conditions differed in plant height, number of tillers, internodal position, fresh mass, dry mass, leaf stem ratio, and chlorophyll contents. Initial transpiration rate, stomatal conductivity, and CO2 exchange rate showed better increase in MSS-5 genotype. Mn stress decreased oil content whereas the content of oil constituent carvone increased in MSS-5 and Arka. and P. Singh, A. Misra, N. K. Srivastava.
The relationship between milk fat concentration and the growth of rat pups from birth to the 20th day was investigated. A total of 36 first-time-lactating Wistar rats and 366 pups from litters of 8-12 were used. The concentration of milk fat was determined by the crematocrit method, on the 2nd, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th day of lactation. A wide range of milk fat concentration with a great variability in each individual dam was observed during lactation. To correlate milk fat and pup's growth, the mean value of the milk fat of the individual mothers was calculated for the first 10 days from the values of the 2nd, 5th and 10th day of lactation, and for the second 10 days from the values of the 10th, 15th and 20th days. The results show that pups fed higher fat milk in the first 10 days of life grew faster than pups fed lower fat milk. A significant positive correlation (P<0.001) was found between the fat concentration of milk and the weight gains of pups in the first 10 days, but not in the older groups. It indicates that the fat concentration of milk is important for the growth of pups mainly in the early postnatal period of life.
Fluorescence images of leaves of sugar beet plants (Beta vulgaris L. cv. Patricia) grown on an experimental field with different fertilisation doses of nitrogen [0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 g(N) m-2] were taken, applying a new multicolour flash-lamp fluorescence imaging system (FL-FIS). Fluorescence was excited by the UV-range (280-400 nm, λmax = 340 nm) of a pulsed Xenon lamp. The images were acquired successively in the four fluorescence bands of leaves near 440, 520, 690, and 740 nm (F440, F520, F690, F740) by means of a CCD-camera. Parallel measurements were performed to characterise the physiological state of the leaves (nitrogen content, invert-sugars, chlorophylls and carotenoids as well as chlorophyll fluorescence induction kinetics and beet yield). The fluorescence images indicated a differential local patchiness across the leaf blade for the four fluorescence bands. The blue (F440) and green fluorescence (F520) were high in the leaf veins, whereas the red (F690) and far-red (F740) chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescences were more pronounced in the intercostal leaf areas. Sugar beet plants with high N supply could be distinguished from beet plants with low N supply by lower values of F440/F690 and F440/F740. Both the blue-green fluorescence and the Chl fluorescence rose at a higher N application. This increase was more pronounced for the Chl fluorescence than for the blue-green one. The results demonstrate that fluorescence ratio imaging of leaves can be applied for a non-destructive monitoring of differences in nitrogen supply. The FL-FIS is a valuable diagnostic tool for screening site-specific differences in N-availability which is required for precision farming. and G. Langsdorf ... [et al.].