In South China, the photosynthetic characteristics of an invasive exotic weed Mikania micrantha H.B. Kunth and its indigenous close congener Mikania cordata (Burm. f.) B.L. Robinson were studied. Mikania micrantha exhibited a greater biochemical capacity for photosynthesis than M. cordata, as the former had higher V cmax and J max , which lead to its higher maximum assimilation rate (A max ) va...

1. We examined the relative importance of litter quality and stream characteristics in determining decomposition rate and the macroinvertebrate assemblage living on autumnshed leaves. 2. We compared the decomposition rates of five native riparian tree species (Populus fremontii, Alnus oblongifolia, Platanus wrightii, Fraxinus velutina and Quercus gambelii) across three south-western streams in ...

A further characterization of the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) mutant ‘Wisconsin SMR-18’ bla (blunt leaf apex) revealed a new character associated with the previously described leaf phenotype. The attachment of the blade to the petiole of bla plants is flat across, as opposed to the cordate or indented attachment in the wild-type ‘Wisconsin SMR-18’ plants. The new character (truncate leaf base...

Water stress causes defoliation, which can reduce yield and root quality of sugar beets (Beta vulgaris L.) through altered gas exchange characteristics of the leaves. In a two-year experiment, three sugar beet cultivars (Europa, Rival and Corsica) were subjected to three defoliation levels (control-C, moderate-MD, severe-SD) and re-watering after their exposition to drought for a month. Leaf ph...

Canopy radiative transfer models simulate the bidirecmodel inversions by decreasing the number of observations required to retrieve canopy structural and biophysitional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of vegetation covers with differing leaf and soil spectral and cancal information from multiangle remotely sensed data. Elsevier Science Inc., 1998 opy structural characteristics. Numeri...

The main purpose of this work is to demonstrate a practical means of determining the leaf transmission and scatter characteristics of a multileaf collimator (MLC) pertinent to the commissioning of dynamic intensity modulated radiotherapy, especially for the sweeping window technique. The data are necessary for the conversion of intensity distributions produced by intensity-modulated radiotherap...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS A test was made of the hypothesis that the prostrate growth habit of the leaves of the geophyte Brunsvigia orientalis enables utilization of soil-derived CO(2) and is related to the presence of lysigenous air-filled channels characteristic of B. orientalis leaves. METHODS Brunsvigia orientalis was sampled at a field site. Leaf anatomy, stomatal density, leaf/soil gas excha...

As an important agronomic trait, rice (Oryza sativa L.) leaf rolling has attracted much attention from plant biologists and breeders. Moderate leaf rolling increases the photosynthesis of cultivars and hence raises grain yield. However, the relevant molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show the isolation and functional characterization of SHALLOT-LIKE1 (SLL1), a key gene controlling ri...

The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of NaCl on the leaf growth and some physiological and biochemical characteristics of an Algerian durum wheat (var. Waha) landrace. NaCl (150 mM), as compared to control plants, significantly reduced all the leaf-growth parameters as leaf area (33%), leaf dry weight (41%) and leaf fresh weight (32%), but did not induce any change in the...

Background Studies showed effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) on lowering blood sugar levels in animal and diabetes patients. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of MO leaf capsules on glucose control in therapy-naïve type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to evaluate its safety. Method This was a prospective randomized placebo controlled study. Therapy-naïve T2DM was randomly assig...