An experimental test of the eddy correlation technique over a Mediterranean macchia canopy

Abstract. Flux densities of water vapour and carbon dioxide were measured for a Mediterranean macchia canopy. Results show good agreement between the measured available energy and the sum of latent sensible and heat flux densities determined with the eddy correlation technique. Joint evaluation of the Bowen ratio, aerodynamic resistance, canopy resistance and the 'omega factor' suggests that the macchia canopy is intermediate in aerodynamic roughness between coniferous and deciduous canopies. Maximum daytime carbon flux densities ranged from -14 to -22(μnol m⁻² s⁻¹ on a ground area basis. The ratio of transpiration to assimilation (E/A) was a function of incident photo-synthetic photon flux density below about 400 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹ and above it was fairly constant at 272 mol mol⁻¹ (H₂O/CO₂). The relationship between carbon influx and canopy conductance was linear. Results show promising applications of the eddy correlation technique for evaluating physiological features of canopies, treated as unitary functional systems.     

Variation in pea aphid population development in three different habitats

Abstract.

• 1 Seasonal population growth rates for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, were determined in three different host plant habitats; alfalfa, Medicago sativa (L.), clover, Trifolium pratense (L.), and peas, Pisum sativum (L.); over four years and eight places. It was possible to estimate a common intrinsic rate of increase for each host plant habitat.
• 2 An analysis of the relative influence of temporal, spatial and host plant habitat variation showed that the host plant habitat was most important in determining the growth rates of the populations, both in rate of build-up and decline.
• 3 Patterns of alate production in the three different habitats differed substantially between the annual peas and the two perennial legumes. During the summer, alate production was large and rapid in peas and remained low and constant in clover and alfalfa
• 4 Parasitism was highest in peas. The species composition of parasitoids differed between crops.
• 5 Aphids in annual peas had a higher intrinsic rate of increase and a faster rate of decline than in the two perennial legumes. This explains the presence of both migratory and sedentary forms among pea aphids.

     

In situ estimation of net CO2 assimilation, photosynthetic electron flow and photorespiration in Turkey oak (Q. cerris L.) leaves: diurnal cycles under different levels of water supply

Diurnal time courses of net CO₂ assimilation rates, stomatal conductance and light-driven electron fluxes were measured in situ on attached leaves of 30-year-old Turkey oak trees (Quercus cerris L.) under natural summer conditions in central Italy. Combined measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence under low O₂ concentrations allowed the demonstration of a linear relationship between the photochemical efficiency of PSII (fluorescence measurements) and the apparent quantum yield of gross photosynthesis (gas exchange). This relationship was used under normal O₂ to compute total light-driven electron fluxes, and to partition them into fractions used for RuBP carboxylation or RuBP oxygenation. This procedure also yielded an indirect estimate of the rate of photorespiration in vivo. The time courses of light-driven electron flow, net CO₂ assimilation and photorespiration paralleled that of photosynthetic photon flux density, with important afternoon deviations as soon as a severe drought stress occurred, whereas photochemical efficiency and maximal fluorescence underwent large but reversible diurnal decreases. The latter observation indicated the occurrence of a large non-photochemical energy dissipation at PSII. We estimated that less than 60% of the total photosynthetic electron flow was used for carbon assimilation at midday, while about 40% was devoted to photorespiration. The rate of carbon loss by photorespiration (R₁) reached mean levels of 56% of net assimilation rates. The potential application of this technique to analysis of the relative contributions of thermal de-excitation at PSII and photorespiratory carbon recycling in the protection of photosynthesis against stress effects is discussed.     

Stochastic-rheological Simulation of Free-fall Arm Impact in Children: Application to Playground Injuries

The aim of this study was to develop and pilot a stochastic-rheological biomechanical model to investigate the mechanics of impact fractures in the upper limbs of children who fall in everyday situations, such as when playing on playground equipment. The rheological aspect of the model characterises musculo-skeletal tissues in terms of inertial, elastic and viscous parameters. The stochastic aspect of the model allows natural variation of children's musculo-skeletal mechanical properties to be accounted for in the analysis. The relationship of risk factors, such as fall height, impact surface, child mass and bone density, to the probability of sustaining an injury in playground equipment falls were examined and found to closely match findings in epidemiological, clinical and biomechanical literature. These results suggest that the stochastic-rheological model is a useful tool for the evaluation of arm fracture risk in children. Once fully developed, information from this model will provide the basis for recommendations for modifications to playground equipment and surface standards.     

Digestive and metabolic utilization of lauric,myristic and stearic acid in cows,and associated effects on milk fat quality

A study was carried out to examine the effect of dietary supplementation of oregano essential oil on performance of broiler chickens experimentally infected with Eimeria tenella at 14 days of age. A total of 120 day-old Cobb-500 chicks separated into 4 equal groups with three replicates each, were used in this study. Two groups, one infected with 5·10⁴ sporulated oocysts of E. tenella and the other not, were given a basal diet and served as controls. The other two groups also infected with E. tenella were administered diets supplemented with oregano essential oil at a level of 300 mg/kg, or with the anticoccidial lasalocid at 75 mg/kg. Following this infection, survival rate, bloody diarrhoea and oocysts excretion as well as lesion score were determined. Throughout the experimental period of 42 days, body weight gain and feed intake were recorded weekly, and feed conversion ratios were calculated. Two weeks after the infection with E. tenella supplementation with dietary oregano oil resulted in body weight gains and feed conversion ratios not differing from the non-infected group, but higher than those of the infected control group and lower than those of the lasalocid group. These parameters correspond with the extent of bloody diarrhoea, survival rate, lesion score and oocyst numbers and indicated that oregano essential oil exerted an anticoccidial effect against E. tenella, which was, however, lower than that exhibited by lasalocid.     

Reduction of ecosystem productivity and respiration during the European summer 2003 climate anomaly: a joint flux tower, remote sensing and modelling analysis

The European CARBOEUROPE/FLUXNET monitoring sites, spatial remote sensing observations via the EOS‐MODIS sensor and ecosystem modelling provide independent and complementary views on the effect of the 2003 heatwave on the European biosphere's productivity and carbon balance. In our analysis, these data streams consistently demonstrate a strong negative anomaly of the primary productivity during the summer of 2003. FLUXNET eddy‐covariance data indicate that the drop in productivity was not primarily caused by high temperatures (‘heat stress’) but rather by limitation of water (drought stress) and that, contrary to the classical expectation about a heat wave, not only gross primary productivity but also ecosystem respiration declined by up to more than to 80 gC m⁻² month⁻¹. Anomalies of carbon and water fluxes were strongly correlated. While there are large between‐site differences in water‐use efficiency (WUE, 1–6 kg C kg⁻¹ H₂O) here defined as gross carbon uptake divided by evapotranspiration (WUE=GPP/ET), the year‐to‐year changes in WUE were small (<1 g kg⁻¹) and quite similar for most sites (i.e. WUE decreased during the year of the heatwave). Remote sensing data from MODIS and AVHRR both indicate a strong negative anomaly of the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation in summer 2003, at more than five standard deviations of the previous years. The spatial differentiation of this anomaly follows climatic and land‐use patterns: Largest anomalies occur in the centre of the meteorological anomaly (central Western Europe) and in areas dominated by crops or grassland. A preliminary model intercomparison along a gradient from data‐oriented models to process‐oriented models indicates that all approaches are similarly describing the spatial pattern of ecosystem sensitivity to the climatic 2003 event with major exceptions in the Alps and parts of Eastern Europe, but differed with respect to their interannual variability.     

Cord blood–derived cytokine-induced killer cells combined with blinatumomab as a therapeutic strategy for CD19+ tumors

Background

Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) are an advanced therapeutic medicinal product (ATMP) that has shown therapeutic activity in clinical trials but needs optimization. We developed a novel strategy using CIKs from banked cryopreserved cord blood units (CBUs) combined with bispecific antibody (BsAb) blinatumomab to treat CD19⁺ malignancies.

Geographical pattern of genetic variation in the Robertsonian system of Mus musculus domesticus in central Italy

The Robertsonian (Rb) system of Mus musculus domesticus in central Italy consists of three Rb races (CD, 2 n  = 22; CB, 2 n  = 22; ACR, 2 n  = 24), and additional Rb populations with new metacentrics have recently been reported. The aim of the present paper is to provide insight into the process of house mouse raciation in this area. Here we present new data concerning the geographical distribution of mtDNA haplotypes (control region sequence) in the three Rb races and in the surrounding standard populations. The presence of exclusive clades in all the three Rb races supports the idea of a past fragmentation event and a subsequent period of isolation. However, comparison of mtDNA polymorphism between Rb and standard races, and the shape of the mismatch distribution within the races, does not reveal any clear sign of a strong reduction in population size, at this geographical scale, related to race formation.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 84 , 395–405.