Search

This paper describes the technical information and performance of a new multi-objective chamber system enabling the control of environmental variables ( e.g., temperature, CO, air humidity, wind speed, and UV-B radiation) for understanding plant responses to climate change. Over a whole growing season, four different climate scenarios were evenly programmed into the system's 16 chambers as ambient environment (AMB), elevated temperature (ET), elevated CO concentration (EC) and elevated temperature and CO concentration (ETC). Simultaneously, the chamber effects were assessed regarding the physiological responses and growth of a boreal perennial grass (reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea L.). During the growing season, the chamber system provided a wide variety of climatic conditions for air temperature ( T), relative humidity (RH) and CO concentration ( C) in the AMB chambers following outside conditions. The target temperature (+3.5°C) was achieved to a good degree in the ET and ETC chambers, being on average 3.3°C and 3.7°C higher than ambient conditions, respectively. The target concentration of CO (700 ppm) was also well achieved in the EC and ETC chambers, being on average 704 ppm and 703 ppm, respectively. The stable airflow condition inside all of the chambers provided a homogeneous distribution of gases and temperature. The decreases in RH and increases in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in the elevated temperature chambers were also maintained at a low level. Chamber effects were observed, with some physiological and growth parameters of plants being significantly lower in the AMB chambers, compared to outside conditions. The plant growth was negatively affected by the reduced radiation inside the chambers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of enamel defects in both primary and permanent dentitions of the same preterm children, and to elucidate the role of early dietary mineral and vitamin D intake in the etiology of the enamel defects. The status of the primary and permanent teeth was evaluated in 32 preterm children and in 64 control children. The prevalence of enamel defects in children born preterm was clearly higher as compared with controls in both the primary (78% vs 20%, P<0.001) and permanent (83% vs 36%, P<0.001) dentitions. Neither the mineral supplementation used nor a vitamin D dose of 1000 IU/day, as compared with a lower dose of 500 IU/day, reduced the prevalence of enamel defects in the primary or permanent dentitions. Further studies are needed to clarify whether achieving near optimum intra-uterine mineral retention would lower the prevalence of subsequent enamel defects in infants born prematurely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]