Computational Phlebology: The Simulation of a Vein Valve

We present a three-dimensional computer simulation of the dynamics of a vein valve. In particular, we couple the solid mechanics of the vein wall and valve leaflets with the fluid dynamics of the blood flow in the valve. Our model captures the unidirectional nature of blood flow in vein valves; blood is allowed to flow proximally back to the heart, while retrograde blood flow is prohibited through the occlusion of the vein by the valve cusps. Furthermore, we investigate the dynamics of the valve opening area and the blood flow rate through the valve, gaining new insights into the physics of vein valve operation. It is anticipated that through computer simulations we can help raise our understanding of venous hemodynamics and various forms of venous dysfunction.     

干旱对东北春玉米生长发育和产量的影响

选取玉米品种丹玉39为供试材料,利用大型农田水分控制试验场,采用大田池栽方式,在玉米三叶-拔节期、拔节-吐丝期、吐丝-乳熟期分别开展中度干旱胁迫及复水控制对比试验,分析3个关键生育时期干旱胁迫对春玉米生长发育和产量的影响.结果表明：与水分适宜对照（CK）相比,三叶-拔节期遭受干旱胁迫后,全生育期推迟13 d,至拔节普遍期,株高偏低29.8%,叶面积偏小41.2%,复水后,株高和产量得到较大程度恢复,果穗性状和最终产量差异不大;拔节-吐丝期遭受干旱胁迫后,全生育期缩短7 d,至吐丝普遍期,株高偏低18.6%,叶面积偏小14.1%,果穗长、穗粒数、果穗干质量、穗粒质量分别下降6.9%、19.1%、28.1%和29.4%,空秆率增加13.3%;吐丝-乳熟期遭受干旱胁迫后,全生育期缩短15 d,生长至乳熟普遍期,株高偏低2.3%,叶面积偏小37.3%,果穗长、穗粒数、果穗干质量、穗粒质量分别下降9.2%、24.1%、30.8%和27.9%,空秆率增加24.5%.拔节-吐丝期、吐丝-乳熟期干旱胁迫处理并复水后,玉米株高恢复不明显,产量降幅显著.     

Nitrification in terrestrial hot springs of Iceland and Kamchatka

Archaea have been detected recently as a major and often dominant component of the microbial communities performing ammonia oxidation in terrestrial and marine environments. In a molecular survey of archaeal ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) genes in terrestrial hot springs of Iceland and Kamchatka, the amoA gene encoding the alpha-subunit of AMO was detected in a total of 14 hot springs out of the 22 investigated. Most of these amoA-positive hot springs had temperatures between 82 and 97 degrees C and pH range between 2.5 and 7. In phylogenetic analyses, these amoA genes formed three independent lineages within the known sequence clusters of marine or soil origin. Furthermore, in situ gross nitrification rates in Icelandic hot springs were estimated by the pool dilution technique directly on site. At temperatures above 80 degrees C, between 56 and 159 mumol NO(3)(-) L(-1) mud per day was produced. Furthermore, addition of ammonium to the hot spring samples before incubation yielded a more than twofold higher potential nitrification rate, indicating that the process was limited by ammonia supply. Our data provide evidence for an active role of archaea in nitrification of hot springs in a wide range of pH values and at a high temperature.     

Earlywood vessel size of oak as a potential proxy for spring precipitation in mesic sites

Aim In this study, we evaluate the importance of the mean earlywood vessel size of oaks as a potential proxy for climate in mesic areas. Location The study was conducted in Switzerland at three forest sites dominated by oak (Quercus petraea and Q. pubescens). The three sites were in different climatic zones, varying mainly in terms of precipitation regime. Methods Three 50‐year‐long site chronologies of mean earlywood vessel size and tree‐ring widths were obtained at each site and related to monthly meteorological records in order to identify the main variables controlling growth. The responses of mean vessel size to climate were compared with those of the width variables to evaluate the potential climatic information recorded by the earlywood vessels. Results The results show that the mean vessel size has a different and stronger response to climate than ring‐width variables, although its common signal and year‐to‐year variability are lower. This response is better in particular at mesic sites, where it is linked to precipitation during spring, i.e. at the time of vessel formation, and is probably related to the occurrence of only a few processes controlling vessel growth, whereas radial increment is controlled by multiple and varying factors. Main conclusions The mean earlywood vessel size of oak appears to be a promising proxy for future climate reconstructions of mesic sites, where radial growth is not controlled by a single limiting factor.     

Plankton composition and water quality in a pond of spring origin in Turkey

Phyto/zooplankton composition, chlorophyll a, and some water quality parameters were investigated in a spring-originated pond in Central Anatolia between February 2001 and January 2002. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, Secchi depth, total and calcium hardness, nitrate-nitrogen, nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, total phosphorus, and soluble reactive phosphorus levels were analyzed. A total of 49 species belonging to Bacillariophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Cryptophyceae, and Dinophyceae were identified. The highest phytoplankton abundance was found in August, whereas the lowest was determined in January. Phytoplankton abundance increased from February to August and declined in the following months. The Bacillariophyceae were dominant in the phytoplankton community. A total of 21 species of Rotifera, 2 species of Cladocera, and 1 genus of Copepoda were found. The zooplankton community was dominated by Rotifera. The highest abundance of zooplankton was recorded in July and the lowest value in November. The annual mean concentration of chlorophyll a was measured as 1.90 μg l⁻¹. In spite of these eutrophic levels (mean values of total phosphorus and nitrate-nitrogen: 0.069 mg P l⁻¹ and 0.68 mg N l⁻¹), phytoplankton cannot grow satisfactorily because of the short water retention time (0.6 day⁻¹). The shallowness of the pond together with the low phytoplankton biomass and the high concentrations of nutrients are discussed.     

土壤水分对温室春黄瓜苗期生长与生理特性的影响

以津优1号黄瓜为试验材料．研究了土壤不同水分含量对温室春黄瓜苗期生长与生理特性的影响。结果表明,在土壤水分为田间持水量90％时．黄瓜幼苗长势健壮,茎粗大,根系活力强,叶绿素含量和光合速率高．与其它处理差异显著,说明土壤含水量过高或过低均不利于培育黄瓜壮苗。株高和叶面积随土壤含水量的升高而增加;细胞汁液浓度随土壤含水量的升高而降低．且对植株水分状况反应十分敏感,可以用来作为判断植株水分盈亏状况的生理指标。     

春季高寒山区牧草低温保护物质变化与其脱冻适应间关系研究

为了了解牧草低温保护物质与其抗冷冻的关系,在高寒山区测定了几种多年生牧草根中低温保护物质的含量和几种蔗糖酶活力的变化。结果表明,在4月土壤解冻期间,无芒雀麦、花雀麦、垂穗披碱草和草地早熟禾根中的蔗糖含量分别下降了74．1％、66．2％、45．2％和69．6％,果糖含量分别下降了72．0％、38．0％、68．3％和84．6％,葡萄糖含量分别下降了66．7％、62．5％、42．2％和65．2％,脯氨酸含量分别下降了83．0％、51．0％、43．3％和70．6％,可溶性蛋白质变化不大;蔗糖合成酶、蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性下降,蔗糖分解酶活性增加,蔗糖分解酶活性是蔗糖合成酶活性的22～35倍,是蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性的55～80倍。研究结果说明,春季牧草萌发时,根中已糖含量的下降是蔗糖分解酶活性增加的结果,根中脯氨酸作为氮的贮藏物质被用于根的呼吸和蛋白质合成。春季牧草根的抗寒能力随着根中低温保护物质的减少而下降,这也说明牧草的低温保护物质和牧草的抗寒性密切相关。     

Modeling preindustrial ANC and pH during the spring flood in northern Sweden

The natural preindustrial ANC and pH decline associated with 22 melt events from 11 streams during spring flood of 1997 and 1998 in Northern Sweden have been assessed using the Boreal Dilution Model (BDM). The results show that the spring flood pH decline of 0.5 to 2.5 pH units in the streams was largely caused by natural processes. The most important driving factors influencing pH were TOC increase in combination with ANC dilution. The study also demonstrates that pH in some streams can decline to pH values close to 4.5 as a result of natural processes alone. In general the anthropogenic component of the pH decline was between 0.1 and 0.3 pH units superimposed on the natural pH decline. Furthermore, the anthropogenic contribution to ANC and pH decline generally followed the gradient of anthropogenic S deposition in the region. The sites with the greatest inferred anthropogenic influence are also those for which the assumptions used in the BDM were most sensitive. Nevertheless, the results from this study suggest that the regional impact of anthropogenic acid deposition on the ANC and pH in northern Sweden is currently limited.     

大气二氧化碳浓度变化对禾谷缢管蚜种群动态的影响

利用开顶式熏气室研究了大气CO₂浓度和土壤水分对禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi (L.)种群动态的影响,并分析了禾谷缢管蚜密度与被处理小麦叶片化学成分的关系。结果表明：（1）禾谷缢管蚜种群密度随CO₂浓度升高而持续增大并与土壤水分密切相关,各CO₂浓度下均以60%田间持水量时的密度最大;（2）CO₂和土壤水分对小麦叶片化学成分有明显的影响,麦叶水分、可溶性蛋白质、可溶性糖、淀粉含量随CO₂浓度和土壤水分含量上升而增加,纤维素含量随CO₂浓度上升而增加、随土壤水分含量上升而降低,单宁、丁布（DIMBOA）含量在CO₂浓度为550 μl/L时最高,但单宁含量随土壤水分上升而增加,丁布含量在60%田间持水量时最低;（3）禾谷缢管蚜密度与叶片水分、可溶性蛋白质、可溶性糖、淀粉含量呈正相关,与丁布、单宁含量呈负相关。结论：在未来的气候条件下,随着CO₂浓度升高禾谷缢管蚜种群可能会持续增长,这种增长在半干旱区更加突出。禾谷缢管蚜种群增长的原因之一是大气CO₂和土壤水分条件改变了植物的化学成分构成。