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Continuous measurements of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) using the eddycovariance method were made over an agricultural ecosystem in the southeastern US. During optimum environmental conditions, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was the primary climatic factor controlling daytime NEE, accounting for 67 to 89% of variations in NEE. However, soil water content (SWC) was the dominant factor limiting the NEE-PAR response during the peak growth stage, as NEE was significantly depressed when PAR exceeding 1300 µmol photonsm-2 s-1 coincided with a very low soil water content (SWC<0.04m³m-3). Hysteresis was observed between daytime NEE and PAR during periods of water-stress resulting from high vapor pressure deficit (VPD). This is significant since it limits the range of applicability of the Michaelis-Menten equation, and the likes, to determine daytime NEE as a function of PAR. The systematic presence of hysteresis in the response of NEE to PAR suggests that the gap-filling technique based on a non-linear regression approach should take into account the presence of water-limiting field conditions. Including this step is therefore likely to improve current evaluations of ecosystem response to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flux footprints for neutral shear-driven canopy flows are evaluated using large-eddy simulation (LES) and a Lagrangian stochastic (LS) model. The Lagrangian stochastic model is driven by flow statistics derived from the large-eddy simulation. LES results suggest that both surface and elevated sources inside the canopy contribute equally to the cumulative flux from an upwind distance of 4 times the canopy height. LES flux footprints are more contracted than those obtained using the Lagrangian stochastic model. This is attributed to an enhanced vertical diffusion and reduced horizontal diffusion. The ejection and sweep contributions to momentum exchange in the Lagrangian stochastic model are weaker than those in the large-eddy simulation. Ejections of low-momentum air dominate at all levels in the canopy modeled by the LES. In contrast, high-momentum sweep events are dominant within the LES canopy and low-momentum ejection events are dominant above the canopy. Dispersion parameters for the first- and second-order statistics of concentration from both LES and LS for three line sources representing the canopy crown, midcanopy, and surface sources are also investigated. Lagrangian model results are sensitive to the choice of the time scale. A time scale based on the dissipation rate agrees well with the LS and LES plume heights of surface source. However, flux footprints from LS are closer to those from the LES, while an intermediate time scale (0.15z/σw) was used inside the canopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We ran a Lagrangian stochastic (LS) dispersion model in both forward-in-time and backward-in-time ways to derive footprints. Three Eulerian analytical footprint models were compared with this Lagrangian model for a wide atmospheric stability range. Despite some differences among the three analytical footprint models, their results generally agreed. Results from the forward LS simulations agreed well with the analytical solutions for both concentration footprints and flux footprints, if turbulent parameters were properly prescribed. Quantitative equivalence between the forward and backward Lagrangian footprint estimates was demonstrated. However, concentration footprint derived by backward LS simulation can be seriously contaminated by numerical errors. A ‘test-adjustment’ scheme treating the temporal integration, and a ‘buffer’ layer treating the surface reflection of the LS particles eliminate numerical errors. Forward LS simulations or the flux footprint estimates were quite insensitive to these errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Canonical Hamiltonian field theory in curved spacetime is formulated in a manifestly covariant way. Second quantization is achieved invoking a correspondence principle between the Poisson bracket of classical fields and the commutator of the corresponding quantum operators. The Dirac theory is investigated and it is shown that, in contrast to the case of bosonic fields, in curved spacetime, the field momentum does not coincide with the generators of spacetime translations. The reason is traced back to the presence of second class constraints occurring in Dirac theory. Further, it is shown that the modification of the Dirac Lagrangian by a surface term leads to a momentum transfer between the Dirac field and the gravitational background field, resulting in a theory that is free of constraints, but not manifestly hermitian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The modification of the flow structure arising from the removal of large patches of trees in a managed forest plantation near Gainesville, Florida is described. Using wavelet analysis of turbulence measurements taken above a forest canopy hundreds of meters downwind from the forest gap and well outside the footprint, the present paper examines changes in flow characteristics and demonstrates that the presence of the nearby clearcut introduces extraneous coherent events passing by the eddy-covariance flux measurement system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nocturnal eddy-covariance carbon dioxide fluxes have uncertainties arising from non-stationary atmospheric processes. Low-level jets (LLJ) are one of the prominent nocturnal boundary-layer phenomena observed over non-mountainous terrain, and are capable of generating shear and turbulence close to the ground. The influence of intermittent LLJ activity on nocturnal carbon dioxide exchange measurements is investigated using wind profile observations and eddy-covariance flux measurements over a tall forest canopy. Results suggest that the buildup and venting of CO2 are closely associated with LLJ activity during the night. Of significance in quantifying nocturnal fluxes, this paper demonstrates how low-level jet activity introduces sporadic coupling between the canopy and the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gravitational gauge theories with de Sitter, Poincaré and affine symmetry group are investigated under the aspect of the breakdown of the initial symmetry group down to the Lorentz subgroup. As opposed to the nonlinear realization approach, in the dynamical symmetry breaking procedure, the structure subgroup is not chosen arbitrarily, but is dictated by the symmetry of the groundstate of a Higgs field. We review the theory of spontaneously broken de Sitter gravity by Stelle and West and apply a similar approach to the case of the Poincaré and affine groups. We will find that the Poincaré case is almost trivial. The translational Higgs field reveals itself as pure gauge, i.e., it is expressed entirely in terms of the Nambu–Goldstone bosons and does not appear in the Lagrangian after the symmetry breaking. The same holds for the translational part of the affine group. The Higgs field provoking the breakdown of the general linear group leads to the determination of the Lorentzian signature of the metric in the groundstate. We show that the Higgs field remains in its groundstate, i.e., that the metric will have Lorentzian signature, unless we introduce matter fields that explicitely couple to the symmetric part of the connection. Furthermore, we present arguments that the Lorentzian signature is actually the only possible choice for physical spacetime, since the symmetry breaking mechanism works only if the stability subgroup is taken to be the Lorentz group. The other four-dimensional rotation groups are therefore ruled out not only on physical, but also on theoretical grounds. Finally, we show that some features, like the necessity of the introduction of a dilaton field, that seem artificial in the context of the affine theory, appear most natural if the gauge group is taken to be the special linear group in five dimensions. We also present an alternative model which is based on the spinor representation of the Lorentz group and is especially adopted to the description of spinor fields in a general linear covariant way, without the use of the infinite dimensional representations which are usually considered to be unavoidable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Malaria is a major human parasitic disease caused by four species of Plasmodium protozoa. Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread, affects millions of people across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America. We have studied the genetic variability of 13 microsatellite loci in 108 samples from 8 localities in Asia, Africa, South America, and New Guinea. Only one locus is polymorphic; nine are completely monomorphic, and the remaining three are monomorphic in all but one or two populations, which have a rare second allele. In contrast, Plasmodium falciparum displays extensive microsatellite polymorphism within and among populations. We further have analyzed, in 96 samples from the same 8 localities, 8 tandem repeats (TRs) located on a 100-kb contiguous chromosome segment described as highly polymorphic. Each locus exhibits 2-10 alleles in the whole sample but little intrapopulation polymorphism (1-5 alleles with a prevailing allele in most cases). Eight microsatellite loci monomorphic in P. vivax are polymorphic in three of five Plasmodium species related to P. vivax (two to seven individuals sampled). Plasmodium simium, a parasite of New World monkeys, is genetically indistinguishable from P. vivax. At 13 microsatellite loci and at 7 of the 8 TRs, both species share the same (or most common) allele. Scarce microsatellite polymorphism may reflect selective sweeps or population bottlenecks in recent evolutionary history of P. vivax; the differential variability of the TRs may reflect selective processes acting on particular regions of the genome. We infer that the world expansion of P. vivax as a human parasite occurred recently, perhaps <10,000 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven years of carbon dioxide flux measurements indicate that a∼90-year-old spruce dominated forest in Maine, USA, has been sequestering 174±46 g C m−2 yr−1 (mean±1 standard deviation, nocturnal friction velocity (u*) threshold>0.25 m s−1). An analysis of monthly flux anomalies showed that above-average spring and fall temperatures were significantly correlated with greater monthly C uptake while above-average summer temperatures were correlated with decreased net C uptake. Summer months with significantly drier or wetter soils than normal were also characterized by lower rates of C uptake. Years with above-average C storage were thus typically characterized by warmer than average spring and fall temperatures and adequate summer soil moisture.Environmental and forest–atmosphere flux data recorded from a second tower surrounded by similar forest, but sufficiently distant that flux source regions (‘footprints’), did not overlap significantly showed almost identical temperature and solar radiation conditions, but some differences in energy partitioning could be seen. Half-hourly as well as integrated (annual) C exchange values recorded at the separate towers were very similar, with average annual net C uptake differing between the two towers by<6%. Interannual variability in net C exchange was found to be much greater than between tower variability. Simultaneous measurements from two towers were used to estimate flux data uncertainty from a single tower. Carbon-flux model parameters derived independently from each flux tower data set were not significantly different, demonstrating that flux towers can provide a robust method for establishing C exchange model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported a dual kinetics of Ca2+ transport by the distal tubule luminal membrane of the kidney, suggesting the presence of several types of channels. To better characterize these channels, we examined the effects of specific inhibitors (i.e., diltiazem, an L-type channel; ω-conotoxin MVIIC, a P/Q-type channel; and mibefradil, a T-type channel antagonist) on 0.1 and 0.5 mM Ca2+ uptake by rabbit nephron luminal membranes. None of these inhibitors influenced Ca2+ uptake by the proximal tubule membranes. In contrast, in the absence of sodium (Na+), the three channel antagonists decreased Ca2+ transport by the distal membranes, and their action depended on the substrate concentrations: 50 µM diltiazem decreased 0.1 mM Ca2+ uptake from 0.65 ± 0.07 to 0.48 ± 0.06 pmol·µg–1·10 s–1 (P < 0.05) without influencing 0.5 mM Ca2+ transport, whereas 100 nM ω-conotoxin MVIIC decreased 0.5 mM Ca2+ uptake from 1.02 ± 0.05 to 0.90 ± 0.05 pmol·µg–1·10 s–1 (P < 0.02) and 1 µM mibefradil decreased it from 1.13 ± 0.09 to 0.94 ± 0.09 pmol·µg–1·10 s–1 (P < 0.05); the latter two inhibitors left 0.1 mM Ca2+ transport unchanged. Diltiazem decreased the Vmax of the high-affinity channels, whereas ω-conotoxin MVIIC and mibefradil influenced exclusively the Vmax of the low-affinity channels. These results not only confirm that the distal luminal membrane is the site of Ca2+ channels, but they suggest that these channels belong to the L, P/Q, and T types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Examines the effect of angiotensin II (ANG II) on calcium uptake by the luminal membranes of the proximal tubule (PT) and distal tubule (DT) in the rabbit kidney. Increase in calcium transport; Suggestion that ANG II and parathyroid hormone influence calcium and sodium channels in the same segment of the distal nephron.

Three velocity components and temperature were measured using three-dimensional sonic anemometers/thermometers at two levels, above and within a forest canopy, in the Changbai Mountains of northeast China. Turbulence spectral structure, local isotropy and dissipation rates above and within the forest canopy were calculated using the eddy correlation method. Results show that the normalized turbulent spectral curves have 2/3 slopes in the inertial subrange. While the shapes of the spectra are in good agreement with the Kansas flat terrain results, the atmospheric turbulence is anisotropic above the forest canopy. Due to breaking down of large eddies by the foliage, branches and trunks, the spectral peak frequencies for velocity and temperature are higher within than above the forest canopy. Compared with measurements from previous studies over flat terrain, the velocity and temperature spectra above and inside the forest canopy appear to shift toward higher frequencies. The turbulence is approximately isotropic in the inertial subrange within the forest canopy, and is anisotropic above the forest canopy. The turbulent kinetic energy and heat energy dissipation rates above and inside the forest canopy are much larger than those obtained by Kaimal and Hogstrom over grassland and grazing land. The distinct features in the results of the present experiment may be attributed to the dynamic forcing caused by the rough surface of the forest canopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the rabbit as well as the rat, a Na+/H+ exchanger is expressed in the apical membrane of both the proximal and distal tubules of the renal cortex. Whereas the isoform derived from the proximal tubule has been extensively studied, little information is available concerning the distal luminal membrane isoform. To better characterize the latter isoform, we purified rabbit proximal and distal tubules, and examined the ethylpropylamiloride (EIPA)-sensitive 22Na uptake by the luminal membrane vesicles from the two segments. The presence of 100 μ m EIPA in the membrane suspension decreased the 15 sec Na+ uptake to 75.70 ± 4.70% and 50.30 ± 2.23% of the control values in vesicles from proximal and distal tubules, respectively. The effect of EIPA on 35 m m Na+ uptake was concentration dependent, with a IC50 of 700 μ m and 75 μ m for the proximal and distal luminal membranes. Whereas the proximal tubule membrane isoform was insensitive to cimetidine and clonidine up to a concentration of 2 m m, the 35 m m Na+ uptake by the distal membrane was strongly inhibited by cimetidine (IC50 700 μ m) and modestly inhibited by clonidine (IC50 1.6 m m). The incubation of proximal tubule suspensions with 1 m m (Bu2) cAMP decreased the 15-sec EIPA-sensitive Na+ uptake by the brush border membranes to 24.1 ± 2.38% of the control values. Unexpectedly, the same treatment of distal tubules enhanced this uptake by 46.5 ± 10.3%. Finally, incubation of tubule suspensions with 100 n m phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) decreased the exchanger activity to 58.6 ± 3.04% and 79.7 ± 3.21% of the control values in the proximal and distal luminal membranes, respectively. In conclusion, the high sensitivity of the distal luminal membrane exchanger to various inhibitors, and its stimulation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, indicate that this isoform differs from that of the proximal tubule and probably corresponds to isoform 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cells from the axial organ of sea stars stimulated in vivo with TNP coupled to polyacrylamide beads and subsequently cultured in vitro were able to produce an antibody-like factor which induced the lysis of mammalian red cells sensitized with TNP. The axial organ cells were fractionated in two populations, adherent and non-adherent to nylon wool. The release of the antibody-like factor required the contact of both populations. When the adherent cells were disrupted by sonication the factor was not produced, but the non-adherent cells could be substituted by their membranes. Destruction by silica of the phagocytic cells present in the adherent population inhibited the production of the factor. The addition of mercaptoethanol to the cultures was essential and did not neutralize the effect of silica, it is concluded that at least three types of cells are involved in the production of the antibody-like factor: adherent and non-adherent cells, and phagocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mircen Journal of Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The microvillous membrane of human placental syncytiotrophoblast cells contains a high ATPase activity. The purpose of this study was to characterize this activity and to investigate the presence of vacuolar type H+ ATPase in this membrane. Intact brush border membrane vesicles strongly hydrolyzed ATP, reflecting the presence of ATPase on the external side of the membrane. The ATPase activity was entirely Mg2+ dependent and increased with pH. At pH 7.5, Vmax was 31.0 +/- 1.7 mumol/mg/20 min and Km 0.18 +/- 0.03 mM ATP. Hydrolysis of ATP was not influenced by the presence of bicarbonate or alkaline phosphatase inhibitors, but at pH 8 it decreased by half following addition of 100 microM dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). At pH 7.5, 1 mM N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) depressed this activity by less than 5%. Opening the membrane vesicles with 0.1% desoxycholate (DOC) or Triton-X neither revealed any additional ATPase activity nor altered the low sensitivity to NEM. Treatment of these membranes with 1% cholate decreased the ATPase activity by more than 70% and did not enhance the sensitivity of ATP hydrolysis to NEM. 10(-7) M Bafilomycin, which reduced by 56 +/- 9% the ATPase activity in dog kidney brush border membranes treated with 0.1% DOC, had no effect on placental brush border membranes subjected to the same procedure. Finally, neither immunocytochemical staining using monoclonal antibody to the M(r) 31000 subunit of V-type H+ ATPase, nor electron microscopic examination detected the presence of H(+) ATPase in placental membranes. In conclusion, the placental brush border membrane is the site of a strong "ecto" ATPase activity which is partially DCCD sensitive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty-two patients with arterial disease of the lower limbs were treated with streptokinase by intermittent administration. All patients had experienced recent aggravation of their arterial disease, and 22 bad thrombolysis confirmed by arteriograpby. In 20 cases clinical study showed repermeation - in 8 cases during the first perfusion and in 8 cases during the third perfusion. During the first perfusion the fall in fibrinogen was significantly greater in the 8 patients with thrombolysis. Furthermore, the third perfusion corresponded to a new phase of fibrinogenolysis. These results support the possibility of the relationship between plasminemia and thrombolysis, and emphasize the limits of the classic theory of Sherry, Fletcher, and Alkjaersig. Permitting phases of repeated but limited plasminemia, the interruption method used here is a compromise between the risk of hemorrhage and the efficacy of treatment at low dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in vitro effects of pokeweed mitogen (PWM) on axial organ (AO) cells of the echinoderm starfish Asteria rubens have been studied. PWM stimulates ³H-thymidine incorporation by the whole population of AO cells (index of stimulation 4–5). On the basis of surface adherence to nylon wool the AO cell population can be fractionated into adherent and non-adherent subpopulations. PWM strongly stimulates the non-adherent cells (index 14) but not the adherent cells (index 1.2–1.8). Specific soluble mediators obtained from stimulated non-adherent cells were able to stimulate the whole AO cell population but not the fractionated adherent or non-adherent cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]