Assessing the Role of Lipids in the Molecular Mechanism of Membrane Proteins

Membrane proteins have evolved to work optimally within the complex environment of the biological membrane. Consequently, interactions with surrounding lipids are part of their molecular mechanism. Yet, the identification of lipid–protein interactions and the assessment of their molecular role is an experimental challenge. Recently, biophysical approaches have emerged that are compatible with the study of membrane proteins in an environment closer to the biological membrane. These novel approaches revealed specific mechanisms of regulation of membrane protein function. Lipids have been shown to play a role in oligomerization, conformational transitions or allosteric coupling. In this review, we summarize the recent biophysical approaches, or combination thereof, that allow to decipher the role of lipid–protein interactions in the mechanism of membrane proteins.     

Getriebe mit zwei Wälzkurvenpaaren

Zusammenfassung Kürzlich hat K. Hain ein W?lzkurvengetriebe mit drei Drehpunkten und zwei aufeinander abrollenden W?lzkurvenpaaren beschrieben, bei dem die eine W?lzpaarung eine reine Parallelverschiebung oder eine reine Drehbewegung liefert. Man kann jedoch die Kurvenprofile ohne weiteres analytisch so berechnen, da? die W?lzpaarung jede beliebig vorgeschriebene Bewegung ausführt.     

Effects of type and amount of applied nitrogen fertilizer on nitrous oxide fluxes from intensively managed grassland

Five field experiments and one greenhouse experiment were carried out to assess the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer type and the amount of applied N fertilizer on nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission from grassland. During cold and dry conditions in early spring, emission of N₂O from both ammonium (NH ₄ ⁺ ) and nitrate (NO ₃ ^– ) containing fertilizers applied to a clay soil were relatively small, i.e. less than 0.1% of the N applied. Emission of N₂O and total denitrification losses from NO ₃ ^– containing fertilizers were large after application to a poorly drained sand soil during a wet spring. A total of 5–12% and 8–14% of the applied N was lost as N₂O and via denitrification, respectively. Emissions of N₂O and total denitrification losses from NH ₄ ⁺ fertilizers and cattle slurry were less than 2% of the N applied. Addition of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) reduced N₂O fluxes from ammonium sulphate (AS). However, the effect of DCD to reduce total N₂O emission from AS was much smaller than the effect of using NH ₄ ⁺ fertilizer instead of NO ₃ ^– fertilizer, during wet conditions. The greenhouse study showed that a high groundwater level favors production of N₂O from NO ₃ ^– fertilizers but not from NH ₄ ⁺ fertilizers. Inereasing calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) application increased the emitted N₂O on grassland from 0.6% of the fertilizer application rate for a dressing of 50 kg N ha^–1 to 3.1% for a dressing of 300 kg N ha^–1. In another experiment, N₂O emission increased proportionally with increasing N rate. The results indicate that there is scope for reducing N₂O emission from grasslands by choosing the N fertilizer type depending on the soil moisture status. Avoiding excessive N application rates may also minimize N₂O emission from intensively managed grasslands.     

Studies on the effectiveness of various sulfur fertilizers under controlled conditions

Three factorial experiments with four replications were conducted in a greenhouse to examine the effectiveness of gypsum, elemental sulfur (ES powder) and three S containing N fertilizers, viz., ammonium sulfate (AS), urea + ES, and Ureas (20% AS and 80% urea). All experiments were conducted twice in different years.In the first experiment with uncropped soil, the effects of soil type, leaching rate (2.3 and 6.9 mm water per day) and urea addition on sulfate leaching losses were studied. Leaching losses decreased in the order Ureas > ammonium sulfate (AS) > gypsum urea + ES. Increasing the leaching rate greatly increased sulfate losses from both soils. Losses were greater in the sandy Typic Hapludoll than in the clayey Oxic Paleustalf. Sulfate adsorption was found to decrease strongly with rising the pH in both soils. Hydrolysis of urea temporarily raised the pH of the soil, thereby increasing the sulfate leaching losses.In the second experiment the effects of S rate (0–65 mg per kg soil), split application and leaching rate (0 and 2.3 mm per day) on sulfate leaching losses and apparent S recovery (ASR) by three successive cuts of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were studied. Herbage yield more than doubled when S was applied. The effectiveness of the sulfate fertilizers was greater when S was split-applied than given all at once. With split applications the ASR decreased in the order: Ureas > AS > gypsum > urea + ES > ES powder. ES fertilizers were least effective, because the oxidation rate of ES to sulfate was clearly too slow.In the third experiment the effects of S rate (0–40 mg per kg soil) and split application on sulfate leaching losses and ASR in the grain of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were studied under leaching conditions (2.3 mm per day). Grain yield increased strongly due to S application. Split application greatly increased the effectiveness of the sulfate fertilizers and appeared to be an effective tool in satisfying the S need of the crop under leaching conditions. Again, ES fertilizers were least effective, because the oxidation rate of ES was too slow to meet the S demand of the crop.In all experiments leaching losses of sulfate from the ES fertilizers were smaller than from the sulfate fertilizers.     

Ammonia volatilization from dairy farming systems in temperate areas: a review

Ammonia (NH₃) emissions from dairy farm systems cause environmental problems. This paper reviews and quantifies the major loss routes of NH₃ in dairy farms. Furthermore, management options are discussed that reduce NH₃ losses.Losses of NH₃ occur during slurry application, housing, slurry storage, grazing, fertilizer application and from crops, in descending order of importance. Animal waste is the major source in four of the six cases. This ranking varies between farms and between countries, depending on environmental conditions and management practices. Total NH₃ losses range from 17 to 46 kg N cow yr^-1, reflecting the variability in amount and composition of animal excreta (urine + faeces), management of the slurry and soil and environmental conditions. The amount and composition of urine and faeces depend on N tranformations in the digestive track of the cow. Of the major nitrogen compounds excreted urea has the highest potential for NH₃ volatilization followed by allantoin, uric acid and creatinine in decreasing order. Creatine, xanthine and hypoxanthine have a low NH₃ volatilization potential.Reducing the excretion of urea and urea like products by optimizing N Intake (NI) and N Retention (NR) is one way of decreasing NH₃ losses. Improvement is possible since NR is about 20% of NI in practice, whereas 43% is theoretically possible. The second solution is to reduce the rate of NH₃ loss by technical means like direct incorporation of slurry into the soil, dilution or acidification of slurry, covering of the slurry storage and/or acidification or dilution of slurry in the storage. These techniques have been known for a long time and now become available on a large scale in practice. Reducing the surface area per cow in the shed and sprinkling floors with water to remove and to dilute urine also decreases NH₃ loss.Reducing NH₃ loss requires a whole farm system approach, because it shows how intervening in one part may affect NH₃ losses in other parts of the system. Reducing NH₃ loss may increase nitrate leaching and denitrification. To prevent this, the achieved reduction in NH₃ loss should lead to a reduction of total N input of fertilizers, concentrates and forage on the N budget of the farm, which is possible as a reduction of NH₃ loss improves the N fertilizing value of slurry. Model calculations showed great scope for reducing NH₃ losses on dairy farms by improved management. Up to three fold reductions in NH₃ loss are possible together with marked reductions in mineral fertilizer usage. The rate at which improved management techniques, will be introduced in practice depends on legislation, the applicability of new techniques and the expected increase in net production costs. To comply with environmental targets requires a huge effort of farmers with associated high costs.     

The Rheology of Wetting By Polymer Melts

Theoretically, the rate of capillary penetration of a polymer melt into a slit, a model for a surface irregularity, has been shown to depend on γcosθ/η) where γ refers to the surface tension of the liquid, η its viscosity and θ a time-dependent contact angle. Analytical expressions relating the depth of penetration with time have been experimentally verified by observations of the penetration of molten polyethylene and poly-(ethylene-vinyl acetate) into aluminum channels. Values of η, calculated from the observed data, agree closely with independent determinations of this material parameter. A theoretical treatment has also been developed which describes the velocity of spreading of a liquid drop over a flat surface. Flow equations for the flow of free films were adapted for this purpose. The spreading velocity is predicted to depend on the product of three factors (1) a scaling factor, (γ/η1R_o), where R_o is the initial radius of curvature, (2) cosθ_∞. (l-cosθ/cosθ_∞) where θ_∞ refers to the equilibrium value of θ, and (3) geometric terms. After demonstrating that a drop of molten polymer may be treated as a spherical cap, the predicted dependence of spreading rate on drop size, cosθ_∞ (nature of the substrate) and the scaling factor was experimentally verified. Some discrepancies noted at long times and high temperatures are discussed.     

The use of farmgate balances and soil surface balances as estimator for nitrogen leaching to surface water

Farmgate balances (FGBs), defined as the difference between nutrient input and nutrient output at farm level, are currently used as a tool to monitor changes in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching to groundwater and surface water. We postulate that the estimator value of FGBs for N and P leaching to groundwater and surface water depends on (1) the distribution of N and P surpluses over fields within farms, and (2) the partitioning of the surplus over the various nutrient loss pathways. In this study, we assessed intra-farm variability of N and P surpluses and its possible consequences on N leaching to surface waters. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of policies to decrease N and P surpluses at farm level on N and P surpluses at field level. FGBs were derived for six dairy farms in a hydrologically rather isolated polder with grassland on peat soil for three years (1999, 2000 and 2001). Soil surface balances (SSBs), defined as the differences between nutrient input and nutrient output at field level, were derived for the accompanying 65 fields for the same years. On average, FGB surpluses decreased from 271 kg N ha^–1 y^–1 and 22 kg P ha^–1 y^–1 in 1999 to 213 kg N ha^–1 y^–1 and 13 kg P ha^–1 y^–1 in 2001. Variances in N and P surpluses between fields per farm were compared with variances between farms. For N, variances between fields per farm exceeded variances between farms for all years. A non-linear model was fitted on the measured N loading of the surface water. This model showed that N leaching to surface water was underestimated by 5–46% if the variability in N surpluses between fields per farm was not taken into account. We concluded that estimation of N leaching to surface water, based on data at farm level, can lead to underestimation of the N leaching due to the large variability in N surpluses between fields per farm. The extent of this bias by a given distribution of N surpluses within farms was largely controlled by the partitioning of the N surplus over the various nutrient loss pathways, notably denitrification.