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.

Damage to living trees contributes to almost half of the biomass losses in tropical forests

Accurate estimates of forest biomass stocks and fluxes are needed to quantify global carbon budgets and assess the response of forests to climate change. However, most forest inventories consider tree mortality as the only aboveground biomass (AGB) loss without accounting for losses via damage to living trees: branchfall, trunk breakage, and wood decay. Here, we use ~151,000 annual records of tree survival and structural completeness to compare AGB loss via damage to living trees to total AGB loss (mortality + damage) in seven tropical forests widely distributed across environmental conditions. We find that 42% (3.62 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.36–5.25) of total AGB loss (8.72 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹; CI 5.57–12.86) is due to damage to living trees. Total AGB loss was highly variable among forests, but these differences were mainly caused by site variability in damage-related AGB losses rather than by mortality-related AGB losses. We show that conventional forest inventories overestimate stand-level AGB stocks by 4% (1%–17% range across forests) because assume structurally complete trees, underestimate total AGB loss by 29% (6%–57% range across forests) due to overlooked damage-related AGB losses, and overestimate AGB loss via mortality by 22% (7%–80% range across forests) because of the assumption that trees are undamaged before dying. Our results indicate that forest carbon fluxes are higher than previously thought. Damage on living trees is an underappreciated component of the forest carbon cycle that is likely to become even more important as the frequency and severity of forest disturbances increase.     

The Cyanelles (Organelles of a Low Evolutionary Scale) Possess a Phosphate-Translocator and a Glucose-Carrier in Cyanophora paradoxa

Cyanelles from Cyanophora paradoxa can easily be isolated and assayed for their carrier composition by the silicone oil filtering technique. The present investigation demonstrates a P_i-translocator transferring phosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate and 3-phosphoglycerate in a counter exchange mode in cyanelles as in chloroplasts of higher plants. The uptake of P_i is inhibited by dihydroxyacetone phosphate, phosphoglycerate and glucose-6-P, only poorly by phosphoenolpyruvate and not by 2-phosphoglycerate. The inhibitors pyridoxalphosphate and 4,4′diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2K'disulfonic acid at low concentration also affect P_i-uptake. Cyanelles probably transport photosynthate (reductant and ATP) by triosephosphates. This is the first demonstration of a phosphate translocator in an organism of a low evolutionary scale. Cyanelles also transport glucose which proceeds in two phases. In the lower concentration range (≤ 2.5 mM), glucose penetrates by facilitated diffusion, whereas transport follows first-order kinetics at higher amounts (> 2.5 mM). In the low concentration range, glucose-transport is affected by high concentrations of 3-O-methylglucose and fructose. The physiological role of the glucose-transport carrier in Cyanophora is doubtful. It may function in transporting glucose into cyanelles if the carbon level inside them becomes limiting, e.g. in dark periods.     

Thermal unfolding of staphylococcal nuclease and several mutant forms thereof studied by differential scanning calorimetry.

The effects of eight mutations on the thermodynamics of the reversible thermal unfolding of staphylococcal nuclease have been determined over a range of pH and protein concentration by means of differential scanning calorimetry. Variation of the protein concentration was included in our study because we found a significant dependence of the thermodynamics of protein unfolding on concentration. Values for the change in the standard free energy of unfolding, delta delta G0d, produced by the mutations in the pH range 5.0-7.0 varied from 1.9 kcal mol-1 (apparent stabilization) for H124L to -2.8 kcal mol-1 (apparent destabilization) for L25A. As has been observed in numerous other cases, there is no correlation in magnitude or sign between delta delta G0d and the corresponding values for delta delta Hd and T delta delta S0d, the latter quantities being in most cases much larger in magnitude than delta delta G0d. This fact emphasizes the difficulty in attempting to correlate the thermodynamic changes with structural changes observed by X-ray crystallography.     

Empirical testing of cryoconite granulation: Role of cyanobacteria in the formation of key biogenic structure darkening glaciers in polar regions

Cryoconite, the dark sediment on the surface of glaciers, often aggregates into oval or irregular granules serving as biogeochemical factories. They reduce a glacier's albedo, act as biodiversity hotspots by supporting aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities, constitute one of the organic matter (OM) sources on glaciers, and are a feeder for micrometazoans. Although cryoconite granules have multiple roles on glaciers, their formation is poorly understood. Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous and abundant engineers of cryoconite hole ecosystems. This study tested whether cyanobacteria may be responsible for cryoconite granulation as a sole biotic element. Incubation of Greenlandic, Svalbard, and Scandinavian cyanobacteria in different nutrient availabilities and substrata for growth (distilled water alone and water with quartz powder, furnaced cryoconite without OM, or powdered rocks from glacial catchment) revealed that cyanobacteria bind mineral particles into granules. The structures formed in the experiment resembled those commonly observed in natural cryoconite holes: they contained numerous cyanobacterial filaments protruding from aggregated mineral particles. Moreover, all examined strains were confirmed to produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which suggests that cryoconite granulation is most likely due to EPS secretion by gliding cyanobacteria. In the presence of water as the only substrate for growth, cyanobacteria formed mostly carpet-like mats. Our data empirically prove that EPS-producing oscillatorialean cyanobacteria isolated from the diverse community of cryoconite microorganisms can form granules from mineral substrate and that the presence of the mineral substrate increases the probability of the formation of these important and complex biogeochemical microstructures on glaciers.     

Photo-induction of electrical current with the cyanobacteriumAgmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6

We investigated the possibility of eliciting a measurable photoinduced electrical current from the cyanobacteriumAgmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6 (Synechococcus PCC 7002). This proved virtually impossible for intact cells. However, treated PR-6 cells fixed in an alginate matrix on tin oxide as the active electrode in a three electrode electrochemical cell gave rise to a significant light response. Cell treatments involving toluene, chloroform or detergents were effective and gave current responses up to 250 nA. Drying the cyanobacterial matrix increased the current yield at least fifty-fold. These effects were observed for light wavelengths > 650 nm and were not influenced by inhibitors or enhancers of photosynthesis nor by sustained argon bubbling of the electrolyte.French pressure cell lysates facilitated distinction between two light induced current components. Lysates prepared without CaCl₂ gave current induction kinetics that were indistinguishable from those on chemically treated cells i.e. slowly rising to a stable maximum in 10–15 min. When CaCl₂ was present during lysis, a rapidly induced (<1 s) unstable component was observed. Toluenization of PR-6 either prior to or post lysing abolished the CaCl₂ related effect. CaCl₂ had no effect on current induction in strain PR-6008, which lacked the and subunits of phycocyanin and exhibited slow current induction kinetics.The observed effects are interpreted as responses of components of the photosystems of PR-6 rather than in terms of an integrated photosynthetic process.     

Characterization of phosphoinositide kinases in normal and sickle anaemia red cells

PtdIns and PtdInsP kinases from normal erythrocyte (AA) membranes and sickle cell anaemia erythrocyte (SS) membranes have been characterized. PtdIns kinase was studied in native membranes under conditions in which PtdInsP kinase and PtdInsP phosphatase do not express any activity. Kinetic analysis of the AA and SS PtdIns kinases indicate similar K_m values for PtdIns and ATP but higher V_max values for SS PtdIns kinase. PtdInsP kinase was partially purified from erythrocyte ghosts by NaCl extraction. The kinetic parameters of PtdInsP kinase determined under these conditions were similar in AA and SS NaCl extracts. These data suggest the presence of some effector of PtdIns kinase in SS cell membranes, resulting in a greater activity of the enzyme. This leads consequently, to increase the PtdInsP pool and to activate PtdInsP kinase, in agreement with our previous observations of a greater [³²P]Pi incorporation in both polyphosphoinositides in SS cells relatively to AA cells.     

同义密码子使用模式对多肽链共翻译折叠的影响研究进展

同义密码子使用模式作为核苷酸与氨基酸的纽带,其多样性介导了核糖体扫描速率,同时扩充了基因的遗传信息存储量。随着新型技术的应用,发现特异性密码子和密码子结合力可调节核糖体扫描速率并影响蛋白质构象。同义密码子使用模式通过多种方式在不同环节影响着核糖体扫描速率,同时还影响着自身mRNA的稳定性。本文简述了密码子使用模式如何在核糖体扫描翻译mRNA的过程中实现对多肽链翻译延伸的调控,为今后生物工程学领域如何优化蛋白高效表达提供可参考的思路与理念。     

Cytoskeletal arrangement and its intercellular connec-tion in wheat young leaf cells

By using the techniques of partial digestion of cell wall and selective extraction,we examined the cytoskeleton of wheat yong leaf cells under scanning electron microscope(SEM).A 3-dimensional cytoskeletal system,showing some new features,was observed.The cortical network located beneath the cross wall was an anastomosing organization.The association of nucleus with the cell wall by some skeletal filaments was also found.It is notice able that there were cytoskeletal filaments,which passed through cell wall and connected together with cytoskeletal arrays of adjacent cells,Thus,it is possible that an integral skeletal network existed within the yong leaf tissue of wheat.