The extractability of uranium (U) from synthetic uranium-hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) coprecipitates has been shown to decrease as a function of mineral ripening, consistent with the hypothesis that the ripening process will decrease uranium lability. To evaluate this process, three HFO suspensions were coprecipitated with uranyl (UO2(2+)) and maintained at pH 7.0 +/- 0.1. Uranyl was added to the...

Differences in the mechanism of ethylene emanation of Ficus sycomorus L. during various stages of the fruit development were investigated by enclosing the figs in jars. Two distinct patterns of ethylene emanation were found. Pattern a. in stages not capable of ripening, neither spontaneously nor as a result of physiological treatment (nonripening stages A and C), ethylene concentration in the j...

Tomato fruit ripening is accompanied by extensive degradation of pectic cell wall components. This is thought to be due to the action of a single enzyme, polygalacturonase, whose activity is controlled, at least in part, at the level of gene expression. At the onset of tomato fruit ripening, polygalacturonase enzyme activity, mRNA levels, and relative rate of gene transcription all increase dra...

The study of changes of nutritional value of fruit during the ripening process can help estimate the optimal date for fruit harvesting to achieve the best quality for direct consumption and further utilization. The aim of this study was to monitor the changes of chemical composition of medlar fruit (Mespilus germanica L.) measured at five various ripening stages including 134, 144, 154, 164 and...

The ripening of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is characterized by massive sugar import into the berries. The events triggering this process and the pathways of assimilate transport are still poorly known. A genomic clone Vvht1 (Vitis vinifera hexose transporter1) and the corresponding cDNA encoding a hexose transporter whose expression is induced during berry ripening have been isolated. Vvht1 is e...

MADS-boxgenes encode ahighly conservedgene familyof transcriptional factors that regulatenumerousdevelopmental processes in plants. In this study, a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) MADS-box gene, SlMADS1, was cloned and its tissue-specific expression profile was analyzed. The real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that SlMADS1 was highly expressed in sepals and fruits; its expression ...

Besides being an important commercial crop, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) constitutes a model species for the study of plant developmental processes. Current research tends to combine classic disciplines such as physiology and genetics with modern approaches coming from molecular biology and genomics with a view to elucidating the biological mechanisms underlying plant architecture, floral t...

Background: The objectives of the study were to Evaluation of isosorbide mononitrate for cervical ripening prior to induction of labor at term pregnancy in an outpatient. Methods: A randomized, placebo controlled prospective study was conducted with 120 women with term pregnancies and unfavorable cervices who self-administered vaginally either 2, 40-mg tablets of IMN or pyridoxine as placebo pr...

MADS-box genes encode a highly conserved gene family of transcriptional factors that regulate numerous developmental processes in plants. In this study, a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) MADS-box gene, SlMADS1, was cloned and its tissue-specific expression profile was analyzed. The real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that SlMADS1 was highly expressed in sepals and fruits; its expre...