The effects of salinity on growth, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic capacity, and carbon isotope discrimination (Delta) of Gossypium hirsutum L. and Phaseolus vulgaris L. were evaluated. Plants were grown at different NaCl concentrations from 10 days old until mature reproductive structures were formed. Plant growth and leaf area development were strongly reduced by salinity, in both cotton...

Breath tests are non-invasive, non-radioactive, safe, simple and effective tests able to determine significant metabolic alterations due to specific diseases or lack of specific enzymes. Carbon isotope (13)C, the stable-non radioactive isotope of carbon, is the most used substrate in breath testing, in which (13)C/(12)C ratio is measured and expressed as a delta value, a differences between rea...

We present here an improved and reliable method for measuring the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and its isotope composition (delta(13)C(DIC)) in natural water samples. Our apparatus, a gas chromatograph coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (GCIRMS), runs in a quasi-automated mode and is able to analyze about 50 water samples per day. The whole procedure (sample prep...

We investigated quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for several leaf chemistry traits in early-generation hybrids between Helianthus annuus and Helianthus petiolaris, the parental species of the ancient diploid hybrid sunflower species Helianthus anomalus, Helianthus deserticola, and Helianthus paradoxus. We grew individuals of a second-generation backcross (BC(2)) toward H. petiolaris under optimum...

The administration of synthetic steroid copies is one of the most important issues facing sports. Doping control laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) require methods of analysis that allow endogenous steroids to be distinguished from their synthetic analogs in urine. The ability to measure isotope distribution at natural abundance with high accuracy and precision has i...

Compound specific stable isotope analyses of managed soils using isotope ratio mass spectrometry have been undertaken as a means of determining early land use practices. delta (15)N amino acid signals demonstrate differences between manured grassland, unmanured grassland and continuous cereal cultivation under long-term experimental land use control conditions, with delta (15)N in hydrophobic a...

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible existence and magnitude of stable carbon isotope discrimination by human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR). The catalytic portion of HMGR was expressed and purified. The reaction product mevalonate was lactonized and extracted from the reaction mixture by a solid-phase extraction protocol. Stable carbon isotope ratios of...

stomata are closed by moisture stress, reducing carbon assimilation and yield production with dry land agriculture. relative 13c to 12c molar ratio assimilation by a plant is a function of time stomata remain open during plant life time, itself a function of moisture stress. the purpose of this study was to test the existence of any relationship between stomatal conductance and assimilation rat...

Stable isotope analysis (SIA) of highly migratory marine pelagic animals can improve understanding of their migratory patterns and trophic ecology. However, accurate interpretation of isotopic analyses relies on knowledge of isotope turnover rates and tissue-diet isotope discrimination factors. Laboratory-derived turnover rates and discrimination factors have been difficult to obtain due to the...