Soil salinity is a serious problem for farmers in irrigated agriculture. Soil salts cause reduced stands and yields because of toxic ion and osmotic problems for surviving seedlings. The tolerance to sodium chloride during germination and emergence was studied in three commercial cultivars of short staple cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). It is this stage of the life cycle that cotton is most sensitive to salts in the soil solution. The objectives of this study were to increase the tolerance to sodium chloride during germination and emergence and to determine the narrow sense heritability of this factor. Parental cultivars initially demonstrated 15% emergence at -1.2 MPa NaCl. Surviving salt tolerant plants were planted in the field and seeds from these plants were used as the germplasm for the next cycle of salt tolerance selection. Experiments were conducted to determine the relative salt tolerance of all plants at -1.2, -1.4, -1.6, and -1.8 MPa NaCl. Emergence of salt tolerant accessions from the first cycle of selection ranged from 3.1 to 25.8% in the first relative salt tolerance experiment. The average emergence of all accessions taken over all four salinity levels was 8.9% for first cycle plants. After a second cycle of selection for salt tolerance, the average emergence percentage increased to 13.0% over the four salinity levels. Emergence ranged from 0.7 to 32.6% in the second relative salt tolerance experiment. Narrow sense heritability of sodium chloride tolerance during germination and emergence was estimated at 0.38 using data from the first and second relative salt tolerance experiments.

In 1984 and 1985 visual differences in frost damage were observed among 40 jojoba clones growing in a field in Tucson, Arizona. More detailed data were collected on the clone with the least damage (Clone-1) and the one with the most damage (Clone-2). On 10-ten terminal branch samples, Clone-1 showed an average of 12% leaf damage compared to 35% for Clone-2. Leaf freezing under controlled conditions on a monthly schedule showed that leaves of Clone-1 consistently froze at a lower temperature than Clone-2. Also, a second exotherm occurred in 50% of the samples for Clone-1 whereas a second exotherm occurred in only 15% of the samples of Clone-2. Soil moisture content and plant water potential were measured biweekly. Neither seemed to relate to the differences in freezing tolerance of the two clones. Total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC), total soluble sugars, sucrose and proline were determined monthly. Accumulation patterns of TNC were similar for the two clones, however, Clone-1 generally accumulated more soluble sugars, sucrose and proline which might have contributed to its freezing tolerance. Growth measurements were recorded monthly to determine whether differences occurred between the two clones. Growth of both clones peaked in the spring, showed minor peaks in summer and ceased in winter. Under greenhouse conditions, pot grown cuttings from Clone-1 and Clone-2 were given zero, six or 12 gm of Osmocote fertilizer and watered at 35 or 70% field capacity to determine the effect of irrigation and fertilization on leaf freezing point. Fertilization significantly increased leaf concentrations of N and P and produced more growth. In the greenhouse study, no differences were found in leaf freezing point due to clones, irrigation or fertilization treatment. Leaves of Clone-1 froze at a higher temperature compared to field grown plants.

Plots of field corn established in Michigan and Arizona were fertilized with two industrial wastes of nitric acid as nitrogen fertilizers. Major contaminants before processing (greater than 1000 mg/l) were Cu, Pb, Ti, Zn, and Zr. Of these, only Cu and Zn were present in significant quantities after neutralization with ammonium hydroxide. Application rates of 0, 67, 135, and 202 kg N/ ha were used, and compared with commercial ammonium nitrate fertilizer at 202 kg N/ ha. No significant differences were found in Pb, Zr, and Ti concentrations in corn tissue or grain due to treatments. Higher Cu and Zn levels occurred in plants from plots receiving the spent acids, but the concentrations were not significantly different from those found using commercial ammonium nitrate. No significant differences were found in corn grain Cu and Zn levels due to treatments.

Three applications of Smith's model of magneto-optical effects in stratified magnetic media are presented. Each application involves the incident-angle dependence of magneto-optical effects which Smith's model treats explicitly. In addition. the three applications address current issues in magnetic and magneto-optical recording. The first problem considered is that of nonmagnetic surface layers which form on magnetic recording heads. The second is a theoretical treatment of effects which arise in magneto-optical recording when high numerical-aperture optical systems are combined with media exhibiting interference-enhanced optical properties. The final application is a novel technique for determining the entire dielectric tensor of materials used for magneto-optical recording. The incident-angle dependence of the longitudinal Kerr effect is employed to study nonmagnetic surface layers which form on ferrite recording heads. Calculations based on the Smith model show a correlation between the inert-layer thickness and the incident-angle dependence of the longitudinal Kerr effect. Experimental results confirm the shift in the angular position of the signal peak. in agreement with the theory for finite inert-layer thickness. An unambiguous determination of the inert-layer thickness for ferrite materials is prevented because of a periodic dependence of the peak angle on the inert-layer thickness. Jones-matrix algebra is used with the Smith model to quantitatively determine the effects of obliquely-incident rays on the reflectance and magneto-optical readout signals for various magneto-optical media structures. The most antireflective structure is found to be very sensitive to incident-angle effects. Structures with moderate reflectance (>10%). however. are not significantly affected by incident-angle effects. Finally. a technique for the determination of the optical and magneto-optical constants from multiple incident-angle measurements of reflectance and Kerr rotation is presented. The experimental system employs a Helium-Neon laser and a rotating differential detection system. The technique is used to investigate the optical properties of a series of Cu/Co multilayers and a comparison with a model based on the bulk optical. constants of Cu and Co is made. Anomalous behavior is observed for multilayers with very thin periods.

A two-year fertilizer study on a mature vineyard of Vita vinifera, C. V. Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon blanc, has been conducted on White House sandy loam (fine, mixed, thermic Ustollic Haplargid), at Page Ranch, International Agricultural Center. Furthermore, eleven different varieties grown at Page Ranch and treated with different levels of nitrogen fertilizer were tested for total P content in plant tissue and NO₃-N. Moreover, in another site with similar soil, a Cabernet Sauvignon grown at the Vina Sonoita Vineyard was treated with both soil and foliar applications of P fertilizer, and was tested for total P content in plant tissue. Soil phosphorus (P) fractions of the White House soil were determined in order to evaluate the various forms of soil P and determine the most important form which contributes most to the availability index. The objectives of this study were to study the various inorganic P forms of White House soil, compare two methods of extracting available P (Olsen and Bray P.), and examine the relationships between soil pH, extractable Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn with the availability index of soil P. Furthermore, the effect of P rates and placement on the P status of plant tissue, grape yield, wine quality and petiole-P to blade-P ratio had been investigated. Three different placements of surface, 25 and 50 cm depth at rates of 88 g of P and 80 g of N per vine, were in RCB design in 1987. In 1988, three P rates of 0, 88, and 176 g of P and 207.5 g N per vine, and the two mentioned varieties CS and SB were arranged in RCB design with factorial type. The results showed that placements did not have a significant effect of P status in plant tissue and grape yield. Yet grapes showed a significant response to P fertilizer in terms of increasing P content in plant tissues and grape yield. Petiole P to Blade P ratios were calculated for the CS, and SB grown at Page Ranch, as well as for CS grown at Sonoita vineyard. This ratio is a good indicator for diagnosis of P status in a given vineyard. Nitrogen stress had its clear and profound effect on P content of grape petioles.

Leaves of young barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Arivat) seedlings were examined anatomically, physiologically and cytologically to infer the pathway of transpirational water movement and to understand the basis for the selective responsiveness of the growing region to osmotic stress. Vessels with open lumens were found to extend from the intercalary meristem to the expanded blade, and all vessels are present in 5 functional vascular bundles (FVB) which are separated by 20 to 30 closely packed mesophyll cells and 2 to 3 immature vascular bundles (IVB). Heat pulse transport data confirmed the anatomical suggestion that water will move throughout the leaf in open vessels and they showed also that osmotic stress will reduce water transport within 1 min, which is before transpiration is lowered. Water representing about 2 per cent of the total tissue water was obtained by centrifuging cut sections of the growing region at 5 X g against an adsorptive surface. This water is probably xylem plus cell wall water because it is easily removed, its volume is 2X that calculated to be in the vessels, and it exchanges more readily with the water in the nutrient solution than the bulk tissue water. This lack of free exchange indicates apoplastic water is somewhat separated from mesophyll cells, and it is hypothesized that osmotic stress causes sudden growth cessation and initation of metabolic changes because (a) reduced water availability together with ongoing transpiration will cause a sudden reduction in the xylem's water potential, (b) there is a lateral transmission of this reduced water potential through walls of all cells in the growing region, and (c) cells can respond in some way to changes in water potential around them. Most cells in the expanded blade are considered unresponsive to osmotic stress because transpirational water will move predominantly from the 5 FVB through the closest stomata, so only cells closest to those bundles will be altered rapidly by stress.

The effects of capsaicin, the major pungent component of hot peppers, were assessed on neuropeptide levels and on sensory function in neonatal and adult rats and in adult guinea pigs. Systemic doses of capsaicin in rats treated while neonates or while adults produced marked depletion of substance P (SP) in dorsal roots plus ganglia (DRG) and in dorsal spinal cord without altering tail-flick latencies in the treated animals. Guinea pigs had several-fold higher levels of SP than did rats in DRG and dorsal cord. In adult guinea pigs, systemic doses of capsaicin as low as 2.5 mg/kg depleted SP in DRG while a 10 mg/kg dose depleted the peptide maximally in DRG (85% decrease) and in the dorsal cord (35% decrease). High doses of capsaicin in guinea pigs had no consistent effects on levels of radioimmunoassayable cholecystokinin (CCK), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, or somatostatin although a transient decrease in CCK levels was observed four days after dosing in DRG and in ventral cord. A single 5 mg/kg dose of capsaicin rendered animals completely insensitive to chemical irritation of the cornea without affecting sensitivity to noxious heat. Higher doses of capsaicin produced a marked insensitivity to nociceptive and non-nociceptive heat as well as to chemical irritation without affecting other sensory modalities. The SP depletion and sensory deficits produced by a single 50 mg/kg dose of capsaicin were still evident ten weeks later. The pattern of selectivity of the sensory deficits produced by capsaicin differed from that produced by morphine which was active against all forms of nociceptive stimuli. High doses of capsaicin also induced skin lesions and corneal opacities in guinea pigs. The syndrome of sensory effects produced by capsaicin in guinea pigs closely resembles the pattern of sensory deficits in familial dysautonomia, an autosomal recessive disorder in which there is a disappearance of SP from the substantia gelatinosa of the spinal cord. The results indicate that in the guinea pig capsaicin is potent at producing a unique, long-lasting syndrome of peripheral sensory deficits that may result from an action of the compound on SP-containing primary afferent neurons. Capsaicin is a valuable pharmacological tool for investigation of the neurochemistry and neurophysiology of primary afferent neurons and animals treated with the agent may be useful laboratory models of some forms of peripheral neuropathy.

The performance of multilayer thin film optical filters depends largely on the microstructure of the component layers. This microstructure varies with the deposition parameters inside the coating chamber. By controlling these parameters, optical filters can be produced to exacting specifications. In 1947, R. M. Rice established the technique of bombarding the substrate with electrons of several kilovolts as the fils were being deposited. This process improved the durability of zinc sulfide films dramatically. This study was performed to quantitatively analyze the effects of bombardment on film microstructure and subsequent effects on optical and mechanical properties. I installed an electron source filament inside the coating chamber and electrically isolated the substrate holder, which was connected to a positive high voltage supply. An accelerating loop placed just above the filament enhanced its efficiency. The source was calibrated by measuring the current through the substrate holder. Single layer films of five different materials were deposited, each at its own set of electron bombardment parameters. The microstructure was analyzed with an X-ray diffractometer and a transmission electron microscope. Optical properties were measured with guided waves, induced absorption, and spectrophotometric analysis. Film durability was analyzed with scotch tape, eraser, and controlled humidity tests. Antimony trioxide films showed a shift in lattice orientation, but this did not affect columnar structure or macroscopic quantities. Potassium hexafluorozirconate films showed elimination of both crystal structure and columnar growth, resulting in slightly reduced durability and some absorption. Silicon monoxide films suffered no change in structure or properties. Zinc sulfide films demonstrated the change in crystal structure, which was quantified and shown to improve moisture resistance. Optical properties were unaffected. Magnesium fluoride films showed a slight increase in crystallinity with only subtle changes in durability and optical properties. Generally, electron bombardment reduced or rearranged crystal structure. The effects on macroscopic properties varied with each material, with no clear trend evident.

The complex interaction between the central nervous system, the enteric nervous system and local and endocrine hormones enables drugs affecting gastrointestinal motility to produce their effects through multiple sites and mechanisms of action. Opiates are one class of drugs which can have dramatic effects on gastrointestinal function and the mechanisms for these actions have been the subject of intense study in recent years. These changes in motility have assumed increased importance following the discovery of several endogenous opioid peptides. In the present studies, centrally-administered morphine was more potent than peripherally-administered morphine at inhibiting intestinal propulsion and gastric emptying in rats. Direct measurement of intestinal motility revealed that the antipropulsive effects of morphine were due to an inhibition of intestinal contractions. The opioid peptide, β-endorphin, and a stabilized enkephalin analog, [D-Ala², Met⁵] enkephalinamide, also inhibited intestinal propulsion only after central administration. These effects were not blocked by a peripherally selective opioid receptor antagonist, diallylnormorphinium. These data indicated that there is an opioid sensitive mechanism in the brain of rats that, when activated, can inhibit intestinal motility. Physiological activation, by electroconvulsive shock or inescapable footshock, or pharamcological activation by kyotorphin (Tyr-Arg) treatment, did not affect gastrointestinal motility but did produce naloxone-reversible analgesia. These data indicate that the opioid mechanisms mediating analgesia and inhibition of intestinal motility are independent and may be a function of different receptor systems. Several opioid receptor selective agonists were used to determine the specific receptors mediating the analgesic and motility effects of centrally-administered opioids. Mu selective agonists produced analgesia and inhibition of intestinal transit, while delta receptor agonists produced analgesia only. Kappa agonists did not produce analgesia or an inhibition of intestinal motility. Mu receptors mediate the analgesic and intestinal motility effects of exogenously administered opioids, while delta receptors can mediate analgesia without altering gut motility. It appears then, that electroconvulsive shock, inescapable footshock and kyotorphin may produce their analgesic effects by releasing enkephalins, which are delta selective agonists. This accounts for the failure of these treatments to alter gastrointestinal motility while still producing the analgesic effects reported here.

The application of fertilizers and saline irrigation water have resulted in increased soil salinity and the removal of large land areas from crop production. One method to overcome the effects of soil salinity is to increase the salt tolerance of crops. The objective of this research was to investigate the physiological, genetic, and agronomic differences between alfalfa (Medicago sativa, L.) bred for increased salt tolerance and salt sensitive alfalfa. The materials used in these studies were the result of five cycles of selection for germination NaCl tolerance, AZST 1978 to 1982, and the source population, 'Mesa-Sirsa'. All salt-tolerant cycles and Mesa-Sirsa were evaluated for ability to germinate in NaCl, NaNO₃, KCl, KNO₃, mannitol and polyethyleneglycol (PEG) solutions ranging from -1.0 to -1.6 MPa of osmotic potential and a control of distilled water. Germination in the lower osmotic potentials of all germination medias was significantly higher with each succeeding cycle of selection for germination NaCl tolerance. Selection for tolerance to NaCl during germination also resulted in increased tolerance to the other salts as well as mannitol and PEG. Germination in mannitol was higher than in any of the salt solutions. This suggests that ion toxicity also inhibits germination. There was no significant difference between Mesa-Sirsa and AZST 1982, the most salt-tolerant cycle, in seed respiration in NaCl solutions or in uptake of tritiated NaCl solution during germination. Broadsense heritability of germination NaCl tolerance was estimated at 49%. All the Arizona Salt Tolerant cycles and Mesa-Sirsa were evaluated for several mature plant characteristics under non-saline field conditions. There were no significant differences among germplasm sources in forage yield, apparent photosynthesis, transpiration, or diffusive resistance. Seedlings of Mesa-Sirsa and AZST 1982 were grown in NaCl solutions ranging from 0 to 18000 ppm NaCl in the greenhouse. The plants were evaluated for several plant growth characteristics to determine whether selection for germination NaCl tolerance resulted in increased salt tolerance at more mature plant growth stages. There was no evidence that germination salt tolerance is related to salt tolerance at later growth stages in alfalfa. Salt tolerance during germination and later growth stages may be controlled by different physiological and genetic mechanisms.