Dynamic heat and moisture transfer through multiple clothing layers

1. 1. The purposes of this study are to find out the arrangement effects on the vapor pressure gradient across the cotton–nylon double layer and to elucidate changes in the vapor pressure gradient when an additional third layer covers the double layer.

2. 2. Model tests for single, double and triple layer system and wear test for triple layer clothing were conducted.

3. 3. It was found that up to the second layer, dryness of innermost microclimate could be maintained when cotton faced the skin (C/N).

4. 4. However, when more permeable and hydrophobic third layer (UWF) covers the double layer, the microclimate of C/N is no longer drier than N/C.

5. 5. When nylon is exposed to the skin, a larger drop in vapor pressure across the first two layers occurred for both model and wear test.

6. 6. The innermost microclimate was not necessarily kept dry when the outermost layer dissipated more moisture due to the inefficient distribution of moisture.

Different trends and divergent responses to climate factors in the radial growth of Abies georgei along elevations in the central Hengduan Mountains

Climate change has been unprecedented in the last half-century. Tree growth dynamics and responses to climate warming at different elevations vary by study area due to regional diversity in site-specific climatic conditions in the central Hengduan Mountains. A. georgei is the dominant species in high-elevation montane forests in the central Hengduan Mountains. To study the response of A. georgei radial growth to climate and identify tree growth trends at different elevations, tree-ring width chronologies at four elevations across the subalpine A. georgei forest belt were built and growth-climate relationships were analyzed. The primary findings of this study were as follows: (1) radial growth rates of A. georgei decreased with elevation; (2) warming alleviated the limitation of low temperatures and abundant precipitation on tree radial growth at the highest sampling site; and (3) unlike at other elevations, the trend of trees basal area increment (BAI) at the lowest sampling site showed a significant decline over the past 20 years. This suggests the presence of an elevational inflection point, likely between 3800 m and 4000 m, where tree growth trends diverge. These results confirmed that A. georgei at higher elevation in the central Hengduan Mountains currently benefits from higher temperatures. However, the effects of drought on A. georgei at lower elevations would cause radial growth to decrease with climate warming. Therefore, it is critical to establish effective management strategies based on how A. georgei responds to climate change at various elevations.     

中国植物群落生产力由东向西分布格局及其驱动因素

植物群落生产力是表征植物群落光合生产能力的重要参数,是维护生态系统稳定性与可持续发展的基础。研究沿中国东西样带(WETC)的水热梯度对植物群落展开野外调查,并基于调查数据计算植物群落地上生物量(AGB)及地上净初级生产力(ANPP),结合环境因子对我国植物群落生产力的东西分布格局及其驱动因素进行了探讨。中国东西样带(WETC)沿30°N设置,水热梯度明显,具有良好的植被、气候等环境因素的过渡特征。在该样带上,ANPP和AGB均具有明显的经度地带性和垂直地带性分布特征,并且其空间分布特征能够较好地被环境因子所解释;具体关系为：ANPP、AGB和年降水(MAP)、生长季温度(T_gs)、CO₂分压(Pco₂)呈显著正相关关系,与太阳辐射(SRAD)、风速(WS)、pH为显著负相关关系。由于青藏高原特殊环境的影响,在该样带上除了MAP和T_gs外,Pco₂也成为影响ANPP和AGB空间分布格局的重要因子,该结论为未来研究高海拔地区群落生产力的响应机制提供了新的启示。综上所述,中国东西样带...     

Antibiotic production by strains of Gliocladium virens and its relation to the biocontrol of cotton seedling diseases

Strains of the fungal antagonist Gliocladium virens were separated into two distinct groups on the basis of secondary metabolite production in vitro. Strains of the ‘P’ group produced the antibiotics gliovirin and heptelidic acid but not the antibiotic gliotoxin and its companion, dimethylgliotoxin. Strains of the ‘Q’ group produced gliotoxin and dimethylgliotoxin but not gliovirin or heptelidic acid. Strains from both groups produced the antibiotic viridin and phytotoxin viridiol. Gliovirin was very inhibitory to Pythium ultimum but had no activity against Rhizoctonia solani, and strains that produce it were more effective seed treatment biocontrol agents of disease incited by P. ultimum. Conversely, gliotoxin was more active against R. solani than against P. ultimum, and strains that produced it were more effective seed treatments for controlling disease incited by R. solani. These results indicate that the antibiotic profiles of strains should be considered when screening strains for biocontrol efficacy, and that it may be necessary to treat seeds with a combination of strains in order to broaden the disease control spectrum.     

Circadian Rhythm of Cardiac Output, Peripheral Vascular Resistance, and Related Variables by a Beat-to-Beat Monitoring

This study aimed to explore the 24-h patterns of stroke volume, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance along with other correlated variables, such as left ventricular ejection time, ejection velocity index, thoracic fluid index, heart rate, and blood pressure. The study was performed on 12 clinically healthy subjects by means of a noninvasive beat-to-beat monitoring using the thoracic electric bioimpedance technique associated with the automated sphygmomano-metric recording. Time data series were analyzed by means of chronobiological procedures. The results documented the occurrence of a circadian rhythm for all the variables investigated, giving relevance to the beat-to-beat bioperiodicity of cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance. Temporal quantification of the investigated variables may be useful for a better insight of the chronophysiology of the cardiovascular apparatus.     

Disturbance-dependent Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) predation on Larid chicks decreases with chick age

Predation is one of the key factors shaping the dynamics of animal populations. In birds, nest loss due to predation can be a significant cause of low reproductive success. Ground-nesting birds are among the bird groups most susceptible to predation, mainly because their nests are easily accessible to a broad suite of potential predators. For these birds, anthropogenic disturbances can generate changes in nest predation risk by altering their antipredator behaviour and also by altering the behaviour of the predator species, i.e. the predator becoming much more aware of predation opportunities due to frequent disturbances and/or motivated to repeat predation attempts when some are successful. To date, most previous studies investigating this have focused on a single effect, either predation or disturbance, on chick survival. It remains unknown how the risk of predation with and without disturbance varies with chick age. In this study, we used behavioural observations to assess how the interaction between predators and disturbance affects predation risk in chicks and how this interacts with chick age. Specifically, we investigated the effect of disturbance caused by humans and stray dogs on the predation of Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei chicks by Yellow-legged Gulls Larus michahellis, and whether this depended on the age of the chicks. Our results revealed that disturbance had a significant positive effect on predation measures of Slender-billed Gull chicks by Yellow-legged Gulls, but that this effect was mediated both by disturbance type and the age of chicks. Stray dogs entering the colony had a stronger disturbance effect on chicks than passing humans, increasing predation risk by Yellow-legged Gulls. Our results also showed that chick age interacts with disturbance type to determine the predation risk. This is probably mediated by chicks' capacity to escape predation by gathering in a single large crèche that runs into the water when disturbed. To preserve Slender-billed Gull colonies in one of its few remaining breeding sites in Tunisia, and as gulls tend to react even when the disturbance occurs relatively far from the colonies, it is crucial to (1) restrict human access to dikes and islets where large colonies breed and (2) construct artificial islets attractive to gulls and inaccessible to stray dogs.     

Insights into the Structure of Invisible Conformations of Large Methyl Group Labeled Molecular Machines from High Pressure NMR

Most proteins are highly flexible and can adopt conformations that deviate from the energetically most favorable ground state. Structural information on these lowly populated, alternative conformations is often lacking, despite the functional importance of these states. Here, we study the pathway by which the Dcp1:Dcp2 mRNA decapping complex exchanges between an autoinhibited closed and an open conformation. We make use of methyl Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill (CPMG) NMR relaxation dispersion (RD) experiments that report on the population of the sparsely populated open conformation as well as on the exchange rate between the two conformations. To obtain volumetric information on the open conformation as well as on the transition state structure we made use of RD measurements at elevated pressures. We found that the open Dcp1:Dcp2 conformation has a lower molecular volume than the closed conformation and that the transition state is close in volume to the closed state. In the presence of ATP the volume change upon opening of the complex increases and the volume of the transition state lies in-between the volumes of the closed and open state. These findings show that ATP has an effect on the volume changes that are associated with the opening-closing pathway of the complex. Our results highlight the strength of pressure dependent NMR methods to obtain insights into structural features of protein conformations that are not directly observable. As our work makes use of methyl groups as NMR probes we conclude that the applied methodology is also applicable to high molecular weight complexes.     

The effects of grazing on the pollen production of grasses

Samples from moss polsters taken over three consecutive years during a controlled grazing experiment in a nature reserve in the Netherlands were analysed for their pollen content, particularly grass pollen. Samples were also taken in the year following the experiment, with grazing pressure strongly diminished. This yielded data regarding the effect of grazing on the pollen production of grasses in open habitats, plantations, and unproductive and productive woods under different grazing pressures.     

坐式八段锦联合足三里穴位按压对社区高龄衰弱患者效果分析

摘要 目的：探讨坐式八段锦联合足三里穴位按压对社区高龄衰弱患者效果分析。方法：前瞻性纳入2021年3月至2022年3月南京某社区50例高龄衰弱患者为研究对象,分为两组,对照组进行常规治疗及健康指导,观察组以对照组为基础,进行为期12周的坐式八段锦锻炼及足三里穴位按压,应用简化营养食欲问卷（SNAQ）、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数表（PSQI）、Tilburg衰弱量表、汉密尔顿焦虑量表（HAMA）和抑郁量表（HAMD）和SF-36生活质量评定量表评估干预前后两组患者的食欲、睡眠、衰弱、焦虑情绪、抑郁情绪和生活质量状况。结果：干预前,两组患者HAMA、HAMD评分、躯体衰弱维度、心理衰弱维度、社会衰弱维度、总分评分、食欲、睡眠、握力和各维度生活质量评分比较无差异（P＞0.05）;干预后,两组HAMA和HAMD评分均降低,且观察组较对照组低（P<0.05）;干预后,两组躯体衰弱维度、心理衰弱维度、社会衰弱维度、总分评分均降低,且观察组较对照组低（P<0.05）;干预后,两组食欲、睡眠均降低,而握力升高,且观察组食欲、睡眠均低于对照组,而握力高于对照组（P<0.05）;干预后,两组各维度生活质量评分均升高,且观察组较对照组高（P<0.05）。结论：社区高龄衰弱患者采用坐式八段锦联合足三里穴位按压干预,可有效改善食欲促进睡眠质量升高和促进衰弱病情转归,进而有利于调节患者负性情绪和促进预后生活质量改善。     

颅内压参数联合血清caveolin-1、AQP-4对高血压脑出血患者术后预后不良的预测价值

摘要 目的：探讨颅内压参数联合血清小窝蛋白-1（caveolin-1）、水通道蛋白4（AQP-4）对高血压脑出血（HICH）患者术后预后不良的预测价值。方法：选择2020年1月至2022年1月河北省胸科医院收治的106例HICH患者,术后随访3个月,根据格拉斯哥预后（GOS）评分将患者分为预后良好组（55例）,预后不良组（51例）。术后监测颅内压参数[压力反应指数（PRx）、平均颅内压波幅（MWA）、20 mmHg阈值下颅内压剂量（Dicp20）],检测血清caveolin-1、AQP-4水平。多因素Logistic回归分析HICH患者术后预后不良的因素。受试者工作特征曲线（ROC）分析颅内压参数联合血清caveolin-1、AQP-4预测HICH患者术后预后不良的价值。结果：预后不良组PRx、MWA、Dicp20以及血清caveolin-1、AQP-4水平高于预后良好组（P＜0.05）。低术前格拉斯哥昏迷评分（GCS）评分、高PRx、高Dicp20、高caveolin-1、高AQP-4是HICH患者术后预后不良的危险因素（P＜0.05）。联合PRx、Dicp20、caveolin-1和AQP-4预测HICH患者术后3个月预后不良的的曲线下面积为0.823,大于PRx、Dicp20、caveolin-1和AQP-4单独预测。结论：高PRx、Dicp20、caveolin-1、AQP4是HICH患者术后预后不良的危险因素,联合颅内压参数PRx、Dicp20及血清caveolin-1、AQP4预测HICH患者术后预后不良具有较高的价值。