Feeding postures of suspension-feeding larval black flies: the conflicting demands of drag and food acquisition

Summary We tested whether larval black flies actively control the positioning of their feeding appendages (labral fans), and if so, whether their posture represents a balance between the conflicting demands of drag and feeding. We compared the postures of live larvae with the postures of larvae killed by heat-shock in three different flow regimes in a laboratory experiment; we assumed that the postures of heat-killed larvae approximated a passive response to drag. The average height of the labral fans above the bed declined significantly in faster flows, and was significantly greater in live than dead larvae. There was also a significant interaction effect, since the difference between the fan heights of live and dead larvae was greater in slower flows. Two mechanisms may contribute to this result. Larvae in slower flows have to increase their fan heights more than larvae living in faster flows to achieve comparable increases in velocity and thus particle flux. In addition, muscular strength may limit the feeding postures larvae can assume. The fan heights of live larvae also varied depending on the concentration of food particles: larvae exposed to low food concentrations held their fans higher above the bed than did larvae exposed to high food concentrations in the same flow regime. This change in posture is due neither to an uneven particle concentration in the boundary layer nor to added drag from particles trapped in the labral fans. Collectively, our results indicate that these suspension feeders actively control their feeding posture, and suggest that these varying postures represent a dynamic balance between the conflicting needs of minimizing drag and maximizing feeding.     

Numerical simulation of thermal bone necrosis during cementation of femoral prostheses

The implant of a femoral prosthesis is a critical process because of the relatively high temperature values reached at the bone/cement interface during the cementation of the infibulum. In fact, the cement is actually a polymer that polymerizes in situ generating heat. Moreover, the conversion of monomer into polymer is never 100%; this is dangerous because of the toxicity of the monomer. In this paper, we present a 3-D axisymmetric mathematical model capable of taking into account both the geometry of the implant and the chemical/physical properties of the cement. This model, together with its numerical simulation, thus represents a useful tool to set up the optimal conditions for the new materials developed in this orthopaedic field. The real complex geometry is assumed to be a bone/cement/metallic system having cylindrical symmetry, thus allowing the model to be reduced to two space variables. The cementation process is described by the Fourier heat equation coupled with a suitable polymerization kinetics. The numerical approximation is accomplished by semi-implicit finite differences in time and finite elements in space with numerical quadrature. The full discrete scheme amounts to solve linear positive definite symmetric systems preceded by an elementwise algebraic computation. We present various numerical simulations which confirm some critical aspects of this orthopaedic fixing technique such as thermal bone necrosis and the presence of unreacted residual monomer.This work was partially supported by MURST (Fondi per la Ricerca Scientifica 40%) and CNR (IAN, Contract 880032601, and Progetto Finalizzato Sistemi Informatici e Calcolo Parallelo, Sottoprogetto Calcolo Scientifico per Grandi Sistemi) of Italy     

边界层阻力在叶片气体交换过程中的作用

作者对现有的气体交换法的叶室作了改进。从实验上检验了作者根据电学类比分析和模拟检验得到的结论：在已有的气体交换测定装置中,空气流速不变,叶片的边界层导度也固定不变,所得到的结论用于边界层导度变化的情形时,会造成比较大的误差。现加一障碍物使得流过叶片的风速减小,从而改变叶片的边界层导度。通过测量在不同边界层导度下同一叶片的光强曲线可以考察不同边界层导度下的气孔导度、光合速率、蒸腾速率以及它们之间的相互关系。实验结果与作者以前的电学类比分析和模拟得到的结论是基本一致的     

农田林网化地区近地面层廓线特征研究

大面积林网化地区近地面层大气的系留气球观测发现,近地面层大气的风、温、湿分为两层,即下边界层和扰动边界层,其厚度和廓线分布与理查逊数有关,在中性天气条件下均满足对数分布规律,边界层（特别是扰动边界层）内的摩擦速度Ｕ．＂与旷野对比点的摩擦速度Ｕ０增大１个数量级,而粗糙度Ｚ＂０增大２个数量级,甚至更大。     

广西九万山藓类植物区系分析及其对划分热带,亚热带分界线的意义

九万山位于广西北部的中央(25°10’～25°25’N,108°27’E),界于泛北极植物区和古热带植物区的交汇处。其主要植被为亚热带常绿阔叶林。最高海拔为1693m,最低处仅170m。经对1850号标本的鉴定,共计有藓类植物35科、101属和189种。本文分析了九万山的藓类植物区系成分,将其划分为 10种类型。其中东亚成分最为丰富(39.33％),热带、亚热带成分次之(38.20％),而温带成分居第三位(18.54％)。本文选择了九万山临近的五个地区加以比较。其中,金佛山与九万山藓类植物的属和种的相似性系数分别为60.68％和36.87％,神农架为57.29％和33.13％。尖峰岭为48.83％和22.29％,西双版纳为57.29％和29.63％。而我国东部的武夷山则为69.86％和39.57％,其相似性系数在相比较的五个山区中为最高。九万山区有4个特有属并明显受喜马拉雅的影响。特别值得注意的是,在九万山区藓类区系中约有7％的种类是典型的热带成分。根据定量和定性的分析,笔者认为九万山的藓类区系表现出由热带向亚热带过渡的特性,其分界线可能位于九万山的南侧。     

Interaction of melittin with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine liposomes. Evidence for boundary lipid by raman spectroscopy

The interaction of melittin, a polypeptide consisting of 26 amino acid residues, with dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine bilayers was investigated by vibrational Raman spectroscopy. Spectral peak height intensity ratios, involving vibrational transitions in both the 3000 cm^?1 acyl chain methylene carbon-hydrogen stretching mode region and the 1100 cm^?1 acyl chain carbon-carbon skeletal stretching mode interval, served as temperature profile indices for monitoring the bilayer order-disorder processes. For a lipid : melittin molar ratio of 14 : 1 two order-disorder transitions were observed. In comparison to a gel to liquid crystalline phase transition of 22.5°C for the pure lipid, the lower transition, exhibiting a 2°C width, is centered at 17°C and is associated with a depression of the main lipid phase transition of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine. The second thermal transition, displaying a 7°C interval, occurs at approx. 29°C and is associated with the melting behavior of approximately seven immobilized boundary lipids which surround the inserted hydrophobic segment of the polypeptide. For a lipid : melittin molar ratio of 10 : 1 two thermal transitions are also observed at 11 and 30°C. As before, they represent, respectively, the main gel to liquid crystalline phase transition and the melting behavior of approximately four boundary lipids attached to melittin. From these data alternative schemes are suggested for disposing the immobilized lipids around the hydrophobic portion of the polypeptide within the bilayer.     

Are there turbidites in the Silurian/Devonian boundary stratotype? (Klonk near Suchomasty,Barrandian, Czechoslovakia)

Summary A discussion arose in 1977 regarding the nature of the Silurian/Devonian boundary bed at Klonk, and the beds below and above it. Present revision of the stratotype sequence found that most clayey limestones display a multiple and composed rhythmic arrangement of laminae. Deposition of pelagic particles, effects of traction bottom currents, and turbidite inputs are distinguishable, however, the latter are rare. Semilithified surfaces and hardgrounds were found. The boundary bed No. 20 consists of several laminated rhythms. The Devonian base, marked by first occurrences ofMonograptus uniformis corresponds to a semilithified surface, a break in deposition for several tens to hundreds of years, and a change in direction of bottom currents. A moderately rippled set at the Devonian base is only about 1 cm thick and passes again into the horizontal laminated rhythms. The deposition of the boundary bed lasted about 1.2 to 2.0 Ka. It cannot be explained as a turbidite.     

Distinct states of lipid mobility in bovine rod outer segment membranes Resolution of spin label results

Freely diffusable lipid spin labels in bovine rod outer segment disc membranes display an apparent two-component ESR spectrum. One component is markedly more immobilized than that found in fluid lipid bilayers, and is attributed to lipid interacting directly with rhodopsin. For the 14-doxyl stearic acid spin label this more immobilized component has an outer splitting of 59 G at 0°C, with a considerable temperature dependence, the effective outer splitting decreasing to 54 G at 24°C. Spin label lipid chains covalently attached to rhodopsin can also display a two-component spectrum in rod outer segment membranes. In unbleached, non-delipidated membranes the 16-doxyl stearoyl maleimide label shows an immobilized component which has an outer splitting of 59 G at 0°C and a considerable temperature dependence. This component which is not resolved at high temperatures (24–35°C), is attributed to the lipid chains interacting directly with the monomeric protein, as with the diffusable labels. In contrast, in rod outer segment membranes which have been either delipidated or extensively bleached, a strongly immobilized component is observed with the 16-doxyl maleimide label at all temperatures. This immobilized component has an outer splitting of 62–64 G at 0°C, with very little temperature dependence (61–62 G at 35°C), and is attributed to protein aggregation.     

Spherical Boundary Conditions: A Finite and System Size Independent Geometry for Simulations of Electrolytic Liquids

The system size dependence of the thermodynamic properties of electrolytic systems in "Spherical Boundary Conditions" (SBC) have been examined in this work. Coulombic systems were simulated with different system sizes (N ) for a wide range of concentrations, different ionic charges and solvent permittivities. The effects of system size upon the mean internal energy ?U? and mean ionic activity coefficient ?γ _±? values were determined. Our results indicated that there was no dependence of the thermodynamic properties upon system size in the non-Euclidean geometry. Different methods of extrapolating the thermodynamic properties to infinite numbers were studied in detail. In contrast to the Euclidean geometry, the method of extrapolating ?U? or ?γ _±? versus N ^-1, N ^-2/3 and N ^-1/3 was not statistically justifiable nor advantageous. Therefore, SBC is well suited to simulating systems involving long-range electrostatic interactions because the results do not dependent upon system size.