Dietary Folate and Biogenic Amines in the CNS

Abnormal biogenic amine biosynthesis has been observed in humans and animals with endogenous and exogenous disturbances in folate metabolism. In an attempt to study this interaction biochemically, rats were depleted or repleted with folate for 10 weeks. Folate levels in depleted animals in serum and CSF correlated with stores in liver and brain, respectively. In depleted or repleted animals, there was no significant effect on biogenic amine metabolism in the CNS, as determined by quantitation of biogenic amines in brain and their respective metabolites in brain and CSF. These results are contrary to studies by other investigators. We suspect, however, that specific genetic defects in folate metabolism do result in impaired biogenic amine metabolism and probably at the level of disturbed biopterin cofactor functions.     

Biogenic amines and phenolics characterize the defensive secretion of saturniid caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae): a comparative study

The morphology of the scoli of Eudia pavonia, Saturnia pyri and Eupackardia calleta last instar caterpilars has been clarified. Chemical and biochemical comparisons of scolus secretions and corresponding caterpillar haemolymphs indicate two differing defensive strategies: Eudia and Saturnia contain phenolic and related compounds, whereas Eupackardia additionally synthesizes biogenic amines (e.g. neurotransmitters) in considerable amounts. For most aromatic compounds from the caterpillars a theoretical biogenetic scheme is proposed. Deterrent effects of all secretions and most haemolymphs on particular predatory ants were ascertained.Abbrevations CI chemical ionisation - EI electronimpact ionisation - GC-MS gas chromatography-mass spectrometry - GS gland secretion - HL haemolymph - PMSF phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride - SDS-PAGF sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis - SEM scanning electron microscope     

Biogenic Origin of Polymetallic Nodules from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: Electron Microscopic and EDX Evidence

Polymetallic/ferromanganese nodules (Mn-nodules) have been assigned a huge economic potential since they contain considerable concentrations of manganese, copper, nickel, iron, and cobalt. It has been assumed that they are formed by, besides hydrogenous, nonbiogenic processes, biogenic processes based on metabolic processes driven by microorganisms. In the present study, we applied the techniques of digital optical microscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy to search for microorganisms in Mn-nodules. They were collected from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and are composed of Mn (23.9%), Cu (0.69%), Ni (1.02%), Fe (10.9%), and Co (0.29%). These Mn-nodules, between 2.3 and 4.8 cm, show a distinct lamination; they are composed of small-sized micronodules, 100 to 450 μm in size, which are bound together by an interstitial whitish material. In the micronodules, a dense accumulation of microorganisms/bacteria could be visualized. Only two morphotypes exist: (1) round-shaped cocci and (2) elongated rods. The cocci (diameter: ≈3.5 μm) are arranged in bead-like chains, while the rods (≈2 × 0.4 μm) are arranged either as palisades or in a linear row. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses showed that the areas rich in microorganisms/bacteria are also rich in Mn, while in regions where no microorganisms are found, the element Si is dominant. We suggest that growth of the Mn-nodules starts with the formation of “micronodules.” The formation of micronodules is assumed to be mediated by microorganisms. After accretion of biogenic and additional nonbiogenic minerals, the micronodules assemble to large nodules on the sea floor through additional inclusion of nonbiogenic material.     

Assessment of the spatial variability of intertidal benthic communities by axial tomodensitometry: importance of fine-scale heterogeneity

At the water-sediment interface of aquatic ecosystems, the presence of biogenic structures produced by benthic invertebrates strongly affects biogeochemical processes. The quantification of these structures and the assessment of the vertical distribution of fauna are essential for determining the impact of communities in sediments. In the present study, computer axial tomodensitometry (CAT-scan) was used to measure the space occupied by an intertidal community of the St. Lawrence estuary. Three cores were sampled at a site that was considered homogeneous according to surface sediments. The vertical distribution of biogenic structures and gravel were measured in the three cores using CAT-scan; the vertical distribution of fauna was also analysed for each core. The biogenic structures were highest at the water-sediment interface and decreased with depth in the three cores. The number of invertebrates also decreased with depth. We observed similar distributions of biogenic structures in cores 1 and 2. However, fewer biogenic structures were observed below 90 mm in core 3. This result was correlated with a high quantity of gravel from 90 to 140 mm in core 3 whereas the other cores had lower quantities of coarse material. We found relationships among the distributions of biogenic structures, fauna, and sediment characteristics (gravel quantity) that can affect species distribution. The vertical distributions of Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, Nereis virens, and small-sized gallery-producing species (nematodes and oligochaetes) could also be recorded with the CAT-scan method. Thus, CAT-scan is an excellent tool to determine the fine-scale heterogeneity in the space occupied by benthic invertebrates in sediments.     

Biogenic amines and their metabolites in mouse brain tissue: development, optimization and validation of an analytical HPLC method

A simple and fast HPLC method based on an isocratic, reversed-phased ion-pair with amperometric end-point detection for simultaneous measurement of noradrenergic (MHPG/NA and A), dopaminergic (DOPAC, HVA/DA) and serotonergic (5-HIAA/5-HT) compounds in mouse brain tissue was developed. In order to improve the chromatographic resolution (Rs) with an acceptable total analysis time, experimental designs for multivariate optimization of the experimental conditions were applied. The optimal conditions for the separation of the eight neurotransmitters and metabolites, as well as two internal standards, i.e., DHBA and 5-HMT, were obtained using a mixture of methanol–phosphate–citric buffer (pH 3.2, 50 mM) (9:91, v/v) containing 2 mM OSA as mobile phase at 32 °C on a microbore ALF-115 column (150 mm × 1.0 mm, 3 μm particle size) filled with porous C₁₈ silica stationary phase. In this study, a two-level fractional factorial experimental design (½ 2^K) was employed to optimize the separation and capacity factor (k′) of each molecule, leading to a good separation of all biogenic amines and their metabolites in brain tissue. A simple method for the preparation of different bio-analytical samples in phosphate–citric buffer was also developed. Results show that all molecules of interest were stabilized for at least 24 h in the matrix conditions without any antioxidants. The method was fully validated according to the requirements of SFSTP (Société Française des Sciences et Techniques Pharmaceutiques). The acceptance limits were set at ±15% of the nominal concentration. The method was found accurate over a concentration range of 4–2000 ng/ml for MHPG, 1–450 ng/ml for NA, 1–700 ng/ml for A, 1–300 ng/ml for DOPAC, 1–300 ng/ml for 5-HIAA, 1–700 ng/ml for DA, 4–2800 ng/ml for HVA and 1–350 ng/ml for 5-HT. The assay limits of detection for MHPG, NA, A, DOPAC, 5-HIAA, DA, HVA and 5-HT were 2.6, 2.8, 4.1, 0.7, 0.6, 0.8, 4.2 and 1.4 pg, respectively. It was found that the mean inter- and intra-assay relative standard deviations (RSDs) over the range of standard curve were less than 3%, the absolute and the relative recoveries were around 100%, demonstrating the high precision and accuracy, and reliability of the analytical method described to apply in routine analysis of biogenic amines and their metabolites in brain tissue.     

Influence of the mode of macrofauna-mediated bioturbation on the vertical distribution of living benthic foraminifera: First insight from axial tomodensitometry

We investigated the influence of bioturbation by macrofauna on the vertical distribution of living (stained) benthic foraminifera in marine intertidal sediments. We investigated the links between macrofaunal bioturbation and foraminiferal distribution, by sampling from stations situated on a gradient of perturbation by oyster-farming, which has a major effect on benthic faunal assemblages. Sediment cores were collected on the French Atlantic coast, from three intertidal stations: an oyster farm, an area without oysters but affected by oyster biodeposits, and a control station. Axial tomodensitometry (CT-scan) was used for three-dimensional visualization and two-dimensional analysis of the cores. Biogenic structure volumes were quantified and compared between cores. We collected the macrofauna, living foraminifera, shells and gravel from the cores after scanning, to validate image analysis. We did not investigate differences in the biogenic structure volume between cores. However, biogenic structure volume is not necessarily proportional to the extent of bioturbation in a core, given that many biodiffusive activities cannot be detected on CT-scans. Biodiffusors and larger gallery-diffusors were abundant in macrofaunal assemblage at the control station. By contrast, macrofaunal assemblages consisted principally of downward-conveyors at the two stations affected by oyster farming. At the control station, the vertical distribution of biogenic structures mainly built by the biodiffusor Scorbicularia plana and the large gallery-diffusor Hediste diversicolor was significantly correlated with the vertical profiles of living foraminifera in the sediment, whereas vertical distributions of foraminifera and downward-conveyors were not correlated at the station affected by oyster farming. This relationship was probably responsible for the collection of foraminifera in deep sediment layers (> 6 cm below the sediment surface) at the control station. As previously suggested for other species, oxygen diffusion may occur via the burrows built by S. plana and H. diversicolor, potentially increasing oxygen penetration and providing a favorable microhabitat for foraminifera in terms of oxygen levels. By contrast, the absence of living foraminifera below 6 cm at the stations affected by oyster farming was probably associated with a lack of biodiffusor and large gallery-diffusor bioturbation. Our findings suggest that the effect of macrofaunal bioturbation on the vertical distribution of foraminiferal assemblages in sediments depends on the effects of the macrofauna on bioirrigation and sediment oxidation, as deduced by Eh values, rather than on the biogenic structure volume produced by macrofauna. The loss of bioturbator functional diversity due to oyster farming may thus indirectly affect infaunal communities by suppressing favorable microhabitats produced by bioturbation.     

Trace fossils in the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition: Behavioral diversification, ecological turnover and environmental shift

After taxonomic revision, trace fossils show a similarly explosive diversification in the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition as metazoan body fossils. In shallow-marine deposits of Ediacaran age, trace fossils are horizontal, simple and rare, and display feeding strategies related to exploitation of microbial matgrounds. Equally notable is the absence of arthropod tracks and sinusoidal nematode trails. This situation changed in the Early Cambrian, when a dramatic increase in the diversity of distinct ichnotaxa is associated was followed by the onset of vertical bioturbation and the disappearance of a matground-based ecology (‘‘agronomic revolution’’). On deep sea bottoms, animals have been present already in the Ediacaran, but ichnofaunas were poorly diverse and dominated by the horizontal burrows of undermat miners. As shown by the ichnogenus Oldhamia, this life style continued to be predominant into the Early, and to a lesser extent, Middle Cambrian. Nevertheless, there was an explosive radiation of behavioral programs during the Early Cambrian. When exactly the bioturbational revolution arrived in the deep sea is uncertain. In any case, the Nereites ichnofacies was firmly established in the Early Ordovician. The rich ichnofauna in the Early Cambrian Guachos Formation of northwest Argentina probably marks a first step in this ecological onshore-offshore shift.     

Accurate quantification of the influence of benthic macro- and meio-fauna on the geometric properties of estuarine muds by micro computer tomography

This paper describes the novel application of high resolution micro computer tomography (microCT) to the quantification of the properties of marine biogenic structures. CT scanning has been used to examine sediments in the past but the resolution of most previous techniques has been dependent upon commercial medical CT scanners which only have a slice thickness of ≥ 0.625 mm. In addition adequate software has not previously been available to rapidly quantify all the properties of biogenic structures. The microCT technique developed here used a standard core sample of estuarine sediment and new software was developed to calculate the axial variation of the following burrow parameters: number, diameter, volume, surface area and density. The increased resolution has resulted in the first quantification of meiofaunal burrow structures.A test core has shown, as an example, that the total volume of burrows created by macrofaunal organisms decreased from 827 mm³, within the top 15 mm of the core, to 204.2 mm³ at a depth 60 -75 mm within the core. Total burrow surface area decreased from 1883 mm² to 512 mm², for these depth ranges, respectively and burrow diameter ranged from 2.37-2.58 mm, remaining fairly constant between depths. Meiofaunal burrow structures decreased from 1.3-0.1 mm³ within the top 6 mm of the core with burrow surface area decreasing from 33.52-3.4 mm². Again, burrow diameter remained relatively constant, ranging from 0.23-0.25 mm.Quantification to this resolution is required to identify the impact of infaunal organisms on factors such as oxygen penetration, vertical and horizontal (across burrow walls) gradients in redox conditions and chemical/nutrient speciation and flux. The quantification of these burrow properties will improve the ability to examine the interrelationships between chemical, physical and biological processes and their role in ecological functioning. The present study indicates that there is potential for further development of this software to allow more detailed analysis of burrow structures and surface features including parameters such as burrow length, shape and sediment surface roughness.     

Living organisms and the quantum-mechanical wave properties of matter

Heat capacity data for the solid chemical elements and for 10 amino acids from proteins, and Kopp's Law heat capacity values for the chemical elements, show that proteins have extremely low heat capacities compared to other substances. The type of quantum-mechanical interaction that is highly predominant in low-heat-capacity substances reveals the quantum wave properties of matter. Therefore, the quantum-mechanical wave properties of matter are highly predominant in proteins. Some speculations about the meaning of this result are examined and assessed.     

Biogenic and taphonomic processes affecting the development of shell assemblages: an actuopaleontological case study from mussel banks on North Sea tidal flats

Summary From spring 1997 to winter 2000, the composition and structure of epibenthic bivalve clusters and patches on a backbarrier tidal flat of the East Frisian Wadden Sea were continoously analyzed. The studied bivalve aggregates developed from intense and approximately simultaneous spatfalls of Mytilus edulis and Cerastoderma edule in 1996, after a severe winter (1995/96) with 64 days of driftice coverage. Spatfall occurred on a bare sandy tidal flat, whereas adjacent shell layers situated at the southern margin of the spatfall site were not colonized. Usually, such shell layers are the most common secondary hard substrates in the backbarrier area favorable for initial settlement of Mytilus larvae. The shell layers predominantly originate from erosion of former Mya arenaria and C. edule populations. So far, the studied bivalve aggregates are composed of approximately equal proportions of living specimens of both species, M. edulis and C. edule. The incorporated cockles were prevented from burrowing into the rediment by the coherent byssal mesh. In contrast to the results of previous studies, the great bulk of epibenthic living C. edule did survive for several years within the clusters. Therefore, the common terms ‘Mytilus banks’, ‘Mytilus patches’ or ‘Mytilus clumps’ may be too general and may erroneously imply a dominance of (or mono-specific composition by) M. edulis. In the fossil record, i.e. in diagenetically consolidated shell layers, the enforced epibenthic life-mode of C. edule and the remarkable species composition as well as the temporal development of the aggregates would not be recognizable.     

History of Ichnology: The Correspondence Between the Reverend Henry Duncan and the Reverend William Buckland and the Discovery of the First Vertebrate Footprints

The Reverend Henry Duncan (1774–1846), clergyman, philosopher, writer, politician, archeologist, poet, educator, social reformer, and the founder of savings banks, was indeed a Man for All Seasons. In 1824, while Minister of the Church of Scotland at Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire, he was presented with a slab of red sandstone from the Corncockle Muir quarry in Annandale, exhibiting a set of footprints on it. Although Duncan felt from the start that he was dealing with the tracks of an animal, he wrote to the Reverend William Buckland, Reader in Mineralogy and Geology at the University of Oxford, to solicit his opinion on the origin of these curious markings. Buckland was at first skeptical, but after receiving casts of the markings from Duncan, he became convinced that they did in fact represent footprints. Duncan and Buckland maintained a correspondence about the footprints, and on January 7, 1828, Duncan described the Corncockle Muir footprints to the Royal Society of Edinburgh and quoted Buckland's findings. Duncan's paper was not published by the Society until 1831, but it aroused considerable interest—“Footsteps before the Flood”!—and was reported in several newspapers. This was the first scientific report of a fossil track; although a schoolboy, Pliny Moody, had found fossil footprints in Connecticut in 1802, they were not scientifically described until 1836. The Scottish tracks are now considered to be not reptilian but of synapsid origin and the rocks containing them are now known to be of Permian age.     

Lactic acid/wood-based composite material. Part 2: Physical and mechanical performance

The synthesis of an innovative bio-composite material based on wood and lactic acid oligomers has been reported in Part 1. As a continuation of this previous work, this paper examines the bio-composite material’s physical and mechanical performance. Properties were assessed in terms of dimensional stability, decay resistance, leaching, bending, shearing, compression and hardness testing. It has been shown that physical performance of the bio-composite was highly improved, in spite of high leaching mass loss. The mechanical structural properties were not strongly affected, except in decrease of shearing resistance due to the middle lamella degradation. An increase in hardness properties was also noticed.     

Potential influence of tubicolous worms on the bottom roughness length z0 in the south-western Baltic Sea

The influence of three different species of tubicolous worms (Pygospio elegans, Polydora ciliata and Lagis koreni) on the hydrodynamic bottom roughness length (z₀) was analysed in this study. Flume experiments and geospatial methods were combined to determine the potential interactions between worm tubes and the near-bed flow regime and the resulting effects on sediment transport in the south-western Baltic Sea. The three selected species are common in the area of interest (3539 km²). Their species-specific population densities were taken from existing macrozoobenthos datasets and transferred into a Geographic Information System (GIS). In analogy to the sediment roughness length, the hydrodynamic roughness lengths generated by the tubicolous worms were calculated and corresponding sediment transport values, derived from flume experiments with artificial tube lawns, were geospatially analysed using GIS. In order to show the direct influence of worm tubes on the surrounding sediment surface flume experiments were conducted at two given current velocities of 20 cm s^− 1 for sediment displacement effects and 5 cm s^− 1 for deposition effects. The roughness length was shown to increase by a factor of 2 to 30 in the presence of biogenic structures such as the worm tubes. The near-bed hydrodynamic conditions are significantly influenced at low roughness densities through independent or isolated flow conditions at 0.7 to 1.9% and at high roughness densities between 4.2 and 7.5%, resulting in unaffected sediment surfaces through “skimming flow”, as well. The GIS analysis revealed that this effect occurs over 4% (137 km²) of the area of investigation, whereas sediment displacement at roughness densities between 0.7 and 1.9% due to increased turbulence is the predominant effect over 33% (present on 1172 km²) of the area of investigation. These findings reveal the important influence of species-generated microtopography on sediment transport processes.     

Tannin-based rigid foams: A survey of chemical and physical properties

Tannin-based rigid foams, prepared from 95% natural material, are suggested for replacing synthetic phenol–formaldehyde foams in various applications. For that purpose, a few physical properties were measured and reported here: resistance to fire and chemicals, absorption of various liquids, permeability, thermal conductivity and mechanical (compressive and tensile) strength. Modifying the composition through the use of boric and/or phosphoric acid allowed substantial increase of fire resistance. The materials were also found to present good resistance to strong acid and bases, and to solvents. High affinity for water, but limited one for organic liquids, was also evidenced. Finally, slightly anisotropic mechanical properties were measured. The materials present a brittle behaviour, whether tested in compression or traction; nevertheless, their strengths, as well as their thermal conductivities, are fully comparable with those of their phenolic counterparts. We show that such materials of vegetable origins can compete with synthetic ones for most of traditional applications.     

History of Ichnology: Early Ichnology Poems and Their Poets

In the early nineteenth century, the discovery of trace fossils fired the imagination of the discoverers and inspired them to compose unique poems. John Joly of Ireland wrote a poem about the invertebrate trace fossil Oldhamia that had been discovered in rocks around Bray Head. In the United States, the Reverend Edward Hitchcock discovered what he felt were giant bird tracks that later turned out to be reptile tracks. The traces inspired Hitchcock, who published a poem “The Sandstone Bird” in The Knickerbocker magazine under the pseudonym Poetaster. The poem is about a sorceress bringing the great sandstone bird back to life and probably represents the first ichnological poem.     

Mechanical Behavior of Bamboo,and Its Biomimetic Composites and Structural Members:A Systematic Review

Bamboo is a typical biological material widely growing in nature with excellent physical and mechanical properties.It is lightweight with high strength and toughness.The naturally optimized bamboo structure,which has inspired global material scientists and engineers for decades,is significantly important for the bionic design of novel structural materials with ultra-light,ultra-strong,or ultra-tough and comprehensive properties.Typical literature on innovative composite materials and structural members inspired by bamboo are reviewed in this paper,and the research progress and prospects in this field are expounded in three parts.First,the structural characteristics of the bamboo wall layer along the thickness and height direc-tions are described in terms of chemical composition,gradient structure,pore structure,and hollow structure with variable cross-section.Second,this paper summarizes the research progress on new composite materials and structural components by applying bamboo's structural features from the perspective of sustainability,designability,and customization.Finally,given the limitations of current research,the biomimetic scientific research on bamboo's structural characteristics is prospected from the interpretation of bamboo structure,new bamboo-like materials,and structural design optimization perspectives,providing a reference for future research on biomimetic aspects of biomass.     

Third-order NLO properties of the DMF solutions of 3-D network and 2-D layered organic-metal polymers with (4, 4) grid units

Reactions of 1,1′-(1,4-butanediyl)bis-1H-benzimidazole (bbbm) with Cd(II), Ni(II), or Co(II) afford three organic-metal polymers: {[Cd(bbbm)(SO₄)(H₂O)₂]CH₃OH}_n (1), {[Ni(bbbm)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂ · 2CH₃OH · 6H₂O}_n (2) and {[Co(bbbm)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂ · 2CH₃OH · 6H₂O}_n (3). In 1, bbbm and coordinate to Cd(II) simultaneously leading to a 3-D structure. In 2 and 3, each bridging bbbm ligand links two Ni(II) or Co(II) ions forming the 2-D layered structure with (4, 4) grid units. Each (4, 4) grid unit is a 44-membered ring and constructed by four bbbm ligands acting as four sides and four Ni(II) or Co(II) ions representing four corners. Their third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties in DMF solution have been studied by Z-scan technique. The results show that the DMF solution of 2 possesses both the large third-order NLO absorptive and strong refractive behaviors; and 3’s shows large NLO absorptive effect and weak NLO refractive behavior. A reasonably good fit between the experimental data and the theoretical curve suggests that the experimentally obtained NLO effects are effective third-order in nature.     

Interdomain interactions in aspartic proteases of higher organisms and their analogs in retroviral enzymes

On recent evidence, the efficiency of catalysis and the specificity of aspartic proteases depend considerably on the dynamic properties of particular molecular regions and their correlations. Analysis of the three-dimensional structures of these enzymes showed the presence of a continuous chain of hydrogen-bonded groups, which connects regions with highly correlated dynamic parameters and provides for a “cross-hand” interaction between domains. This chain includes the inner oxygens of the active carboxyls and the conserved internal water molecules. The so-called “fireman grip” interdomain hydrogen bonding is part of this chain. Such networks are abortive in retroviral proteases. The role of these interactions in the functions of aspartic proteases is discussed.     

Correlation of codon biases and potential secondary structures with mRNA translation efficiency in unicellular organisms

Gene expression is known to correlate with the degree of codon bias in many unicellular organisms. However, such a correlation is not observed in some organisms. It was demonstrated that inverted complementary repeats within coding DNA sequences (ORFs) should be considered for proper estimation of the translation efficiency because they can form secondary structures that obstruct ribosome movement. A program was developed for estimating the potential expression of ORFs in unicellular organisms on the basis of their genome sequences. The program computes the elongation efficiency index (EEI) and takes into account three key factors: codon bias, the average number of inverted complementary repeats, and the free energies of potential stem-loop structures formed by these repeats. The influence of these factors on translation was numerically estimated. Their optimal ratio was computed for each organism. EEIs of 384 unicellular organisms (351 bacteria, 28 archaea, and 5 eukaryotes) were computed using the annotated genomes available from GenBank. Five potential evolutionary strategies of translational optimization were determined in the organisms studied. A considerable difference in preferential translational strategies was observed between bacteria and archaea. Significant correlations between EEIs and gene expression levels were shown for two species (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Helicobacter pylori), using the available microarray data. The method allows the numerical estimation of the translation efficiency of an ORF and optimization of the nucleotide composition of heterologous genes in specified unicellular organisms. The program is available at http://wwwmgs.bionet.nsc.ru/mgs/programs/eei-calculator.     

草炭改土条件下葡萄生长模型模拟研究与灰色关联分析

草炭作为土壤改良剂,可有效调节土壤基质的理化性质.本研究利用草炭在盆栽条件下改良葡萄根际土壤理化性质,用Logistic方程对葡萄年生长节律进行了模拟,并用灰色关联法分析了草炭含量、土壤物理性状及葡萄生长相互关系.结果表明:增施草炭可以显著提高土壤孔隙度、粘粒性物理含量;不同土壤栽培条件下葡萄生长均可用Logistic函数曲线进行可靠描述(R~20.98),并用数学分析的方法确定不同处理梢蔓和梢蔓粗的速生期和速生点,将一年生葡萄生长分为生长前期、速生期和生长后期;土壤施加草炭后,缓苗期缩短,盆栽葡萄较快进入快速生长期,使生长前期缩短4-7d;灰色关联度分析表明,土壤物理性粘粒含量、孔隙度对葡萄新梢生长影响最大,比重对其影响不显著.