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At least 109 records · Page 6

Investigating Bacterial-Fungal Interactions using Fungal Highway Columns in Diverse Environments and Substrates

Bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) play an integral role in shaping microbial community composition, biogeochemical functions, spatial dynamics, and microbial dispersal. Mycelial networks created by filamentous fungi or other filamentous microorganisms (e.g., Oomycetes) act as 'fungal highways' that can be utilized by bacteria for transport throughout heterogeneous environments, greatly facilitating their mobility and granting them access to regions that may be challenging or impossible to reach on their own (e.g., due to air pockets within the soil). Several devices and experimental protocols have been created to study these fungal highways, including fungal highway columns. The fungal highway column designed by our group can be used for a variety of in situ or in vitro applications, as well as with diverse environmental and host-associated sample types. Herein, we describe the methods for performing experiments with these columns, including designing, printing, sterilizing, and preparing the devices. The options for analyzing data obtained from the use of these devices are also discussed here, and troubleshooting advice regarding potential pitfalls associated with experiments using fungal highway columns is offered. These devices can be used to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity, mechanisms, and dynamics of fungal highway BFIs to provide valuable insights into the structural and functional dynamics within complex environments (e.g., soils) and across diverse habitats in which bacteria and fungi co-exist.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Dynamics and column densities of small particles ejected from spacecraft

Trajectories and relative motions of small particles ejected from a spacecraft were analyzed, and modifications to the clearing times and column densities because of orbital dynamics were assessed. It was found that despite the fact that such particles are confined by orbital dynamics to move along similar trajectories with the spacecraft rather than to continue their free expansion, the effect is negligible for viewing angles away from the orbital path. Small particles are rapidly swept away by drag and will not contribute significantly to the column density when viewing along the velocity vector in 420-km earth orbit. However, substantial increases in column density can results when viewing in a direction opposite to the velocity vector because of drag effects. In the absence of drag, significant column densities can build up both in front of and behind the spacecraft in earth orbit for particles released at a few meters per second. This effect is much less pronounced in lunar orbit because the same release velocity produces a larger orbital perturbation for the particle.

Naumann, R. J.↗

Column densities of interstellar molecular hydrogen

Equivalent widths of some 50 lines in the 0-0 to 5-0 Lyman bands of H2 are reported in the spectra of 28 stars. Curves of growth are given and column densities for levels from J = 0 to J = 5 are tabulated, with a few values and upper limits for N(6) and N(7), together with values for b, the velocity spread parameter. In three Orion stars and in rho Leo pairs of components are detected, the difference in radial velocity is determined, and column densities are measured or estimated; tentative identifications are made with the components observed by Hobbs (1969) in the Na D-lines. Column densities for HD are given for 13 stars. Upper limits for column densities in the first and second vibrational levels are listed for several stars; the ratio of N(J = 0) in the v double prime = 1 level to that in the ground vibrational level is less than 2.4 x 10 to the minus 8th power in zeta Oph. Values of a rotational excitation temperature for the higher J levels are given for all the stars. Data are presented which show an apparent increase of velocity dispersion with J for a number of stars, as measured both from the curves of growth and from line widths.

Spitzer, L., Jr.↗

Molecular column densities in selected model atmospheres

Molecular column densities are presented for 35 molecules in a variety of cool stellar model atmospheres. From an examination of the predicted column densities, we draw the following conclusions: (1) OH might be visible in carbon stars which have been generated from triplet-alpha burning, but will be absent from carbon stars generated from the CNO bi-cycle; (2) the TiO/ZrO ratio shows small but interesting variations as C/O is changed and as the effective temperature is changed; (3) the column density of silicon dicarbide (SiC2) is sensitive to abundance, temperature, and gravity; hence, all relationships between the strength of SiC2 and other stellar parameters will show appreciable scatter. There is, however, a substantial luminosity effect present in the SiC2 column densities; (4) unexpectedly, SiC2 is anticorrelated with C2; (5) the presence of SiC2 in a carbon star allows us to eliminate the possibility that these stars are both 'hot' (T sub eff greater than or equal to 3000 K) and have been produced through the CNO bi-cycle (so that C/H is less than solar).

Johnson, H. R.↗

A Nestable Tapered Column Concept for Large Space Structures

A structural element concept is described which permits achievement of weight critical payloads for space shuttle. These columns are highly efficient structural members which could be the basic building elements for very large, space truss structures. Parametric results are presented which show that untapered cylindrical columns result in volume limited payloads on the space shuttle and that nestable, tapered columns easily eliminate this problem. It is recognized that the tapered column concept belongs to a class of structures which must be assembled in orbit. However, analytical results are presented which indicate that the gain in the amount of structure placed in orbit per launch, is great enough that such a concept should be considered in future systems studies of very large space structures.

Bush, H. G.↗

Formation of a rotational accretion column

We consider the problem of the flow produced by the accretion of gas from a rotating cloud onto a point gravitational source. It is shown that, for a cloud initially in uniform rotation, the effect of accretion is to produce a Taylor column in the cloud parallel to the rotation axis. Only gas within the column is accreted; the gas outside the column undergoes oscillatory flow, which is probably subject to shear instability. The column forms in approximately one-half rotation period from the time at which accretion begins. Its initial radius is determined by the accretion rate and the angular velocity of the cloud. Application of the results to the formation of Jupiter by accretion is discussed.

Cassen, P.↗

Dependence of interstellar depletion on hydrogen column density - Possibilities and implications

A reexamination of the observed column densities of various elements in diffuse clouds suggests that almost all elements including oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and argon may be depleted with respect to hydrogen in interstellar clouds with large hydrogen column density. The amount of depletion varies from element to element and increases with increasing column density of hydrogen nuclei. This result is in qualitative agreement with the depletion of oxygen and sulfur independently inferred from the gas phase chemistry of sulfur in dense clouds. The rate of increase of depletion with hydrogen column density implied by the present study is large. It is possible that observational selection effects may have amplified the real dependence on N(H). A broad spectrum of C/O ratios ranging from values greater than unity to values less than unity appears possible for interstellar clouds, which would have the effect of a large variation in chemical composition from cloud to cloud.

Tarafdar, S. P.↗

Observational discrimination between modes of shock propagation in interstellar clouds: Predictions of CH+ and SH+ column densities in diffuse clouds

Considerable effort in recent years has been devoted to the study of shocks in the diffuse interstellar medium. This work has been motivated partly by the observations of rotationally excited states of H2, and partly by the realization that species such as CH(+), OH and H2O might be formed preferentially in hot, post-shock gas. The problem of CH(+) and the difficulties encountered when trying to explain the high column densities, observed along lines of sight to certain hot stars, have been reviewed earlier. The importance of a transverse magnetic field on the structure of an interstellar shock was also demonstrated earlier. Transverse magnetic fields above a critical strength give rise to an acceleration zone or precursor, in which the parameters on the flow vary continuously. Chemical reactions, which change the degree of ionization of the gas, also modify the structure of the shock considerably. Recent work has shown that large column densities of CH(+) can be produced in magnetohydrodynamic shock models. Shock speeds U sub s approx. = 10 km/s and initial magnetic field strengths of a few micro G are sufficient to produce ion-neutral drift velocities which can drive the endothermic C(+)(H2,H)CH(+) reaction. It was also shown that single-fluid hydrodynamic models do not generate sufficiently large column densities of CH(+) unless unacceptably high shock velocities (u sub s approx. 20 km/s) are assumed in the models. Thus, the observed column densities of CH(+) provide a constraint on the mode of shock propagation in diffuse clouds. More precisely, they determine a lower limit to the ion-neutral drift velocity.

Flower, D. R.↗

Infrared measurements of column amounts of stratospheric constituents in the Antarctic winter, 1987

The discovery of Farman et al. of recent large depletions of ozone in the Antarctic stratosphere in the austral spring has aroused great interest because of its serious potential consequences, as well as its surprising nature. An airborne expedition, including 21 experiments on two aircraft, was mounted for Punta Arenas, Chile, in August and September, 1987, to gather a wide range of data to understand the origins and implications of this phenomenon, known as the ozone hole. As a part of this expedition, a high resolution Fourier transform spectrometer was flown on the DC-8, measuring the column amount of a number of trace gases above the flight altitude. Column results are presented only from the flight of September 21; results from other flights are included in an accompanying paper. The deduced column for ozone HCl, and NO2 deduced from the spectra, plotted as a function of latitude are shown. It should be noted that there are many other factors varying as well as the latitude, but latitude seems to be the variable which most clearly provides a passage across the vortex boundary. It can be seen that south 76 degrees S., the column of ozone, HCl, and NO2, all decreas markedly, The ratio of HCl to Hf, normally about 5:1 in midlatitudes, approaches unity. Clearly the chemistry of chlorine and nitrogen are disturbed in the region of low ozone. While dynamical theories could perhaps explain a reduction of these three gases in the same region, since all are of stratospheric origin, it is difficult to see how any purely dynamical mechanism could produce the observed HCl:HF ratio, since the two gases have similar origins. A close look at other species to be reported as well as the correlation with other measurements, such as ClO supports the conclusion that the ozone depletion is a result of chemical processes which deplete HCl and NOx relative to the midlatitude situation.

Mankin, William G.↗

Column atmospheric water vapor retrievals from airborne imaging spectrometer data

High-spatial-resolution column atmospheric water vapor amounts were derived from spectral data collected by the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS). The quantitative derivation is made by curve fitting observed spectra with calculated spectra in the 1.14- and 0.94-micron water-vapor band absorption regions with a nonlinear least-squares technique. The precision of the retrieved column water vapor is approximately 5 percent. The derived column water vapor amounts are independent of the absolute surface reflectance. Curve fitting of spectra near 1 micron from areas covered with vegetation indicates that both the amount of atmospheric water vapor and the moisture content of vegetation can be retrieved simultaneously. It should be possible to measure column water vapor over land areas from satellite altitude with the proposed high-resolution imaging spectrometer or even the moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer.

Gao, Bo-Cai↗

A dynamical explanation for the asymmetry in zonally averaged column abundances of ozone between northern and southern springs

The observed zonally averaged column ozone shows a maximum at 90 deg N during the northern winter and spring and at 60 deg S throughout the southern winter and spring. This asymmetry is explained in the context of a zonally averaged model with coupled radiation, dynamics, and chemistry, together with consistently parameterized planetary wave driving and wave transport. It is shown that in the presence of weak wave driving, the penetration of the tropospheric circulation into the lower stratosphere and the characteristics of ozone chemistry are such that they produce a column ozone maximum at subpolar latitudes. The effect of increased wave driving is to intensify the residual circulation and extend it farther poleward, resulting in an ozone maximum at the pole. The role of the mesospheric drag is to further enhance these column ozone maxima. Model calculations show that the positions of the observed column ozone maxima are consistent with intensities of wave driving in the two hemispheres derived from data.

Hou, Arthur Y.↗

Ground-based infrared measurements of HNO3 total column abundances - Long-term trend and variability

The long-term trend and variability of the total column amount of atmospheric nitric acid (HNO3) have been investigated. The study was based on time series of infrared solar absorption spectra recorded at two sites, the International Scientific Station of the Jungfraujoch (ISSJ) in the Swiss Alps (altitude 3.6 km, latitude 46.5 N, longitude 8.0 E) and the National Solar Observatory McMath solar telescope facility on Kitt Peak (altitude 2.1 km, latitude 31.9 N, longitude 111.6 W), Arizona. Measurements of HNO3 absorption features recorded at Kitt Peak between 1980 and 1990 and measurements of the same features in ISSJ solar spectra obtained in June 1951 and June 1986 to June 1990 provide quantitative estimates of the long-term trend in the HNO3 total vertical column. It is found that the trend deduced for each site is equal to zero within the measurement uncertainty. The modern ISSJ measurements show that the fitted trend is (-0.16 + or - 0.50) percent/yr, 2 sigma, which indicates that there has been no detectable change in HNO3 total column over three decades. The Kitt Peak measurements show marked variability in the HNO3 total column, but no obvious seasonal cycle is observed.

Rinsland, C. P.↗

A silicone column for GC analysis of polar and nonpolar chemicals

The investigation of the Saturnian System is being proposed jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The mission is scheduled for a launch in 1996. The mission provides an opportunity for close observation and exploration of Saturn's atmosphere, the complex Saturnian System of satellites and rings, Titan (Saturn's planet-sized moon), and Saturn's magnetosphere. The mission gives special attention to Titan which is blanketed by a thick, opaque atmosphere. An atmospheric probe will be deposited into the Titan Atmosphere for in situ measurement during a slow, three hour descent to the surface. The results from this analysis may provide the information which is important to the research of chemical evolution, and the origin of life. An analytical system was developed as a part of the Titan Aerosol Gas Experiment (TAGEX), a proposed experiment for the Cassini Mission. This system will use two highly sensitive detectors, the Metastable Ionization Detector (MID) and the Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS). Unfortunately, when commercial columns are utilized with these highly sensitive detectors, volatile components continuously bleed from the column and interfere with the detector. In addition, light columns must be able to separate polar and nonpolar organic chemicals within 10-15 minutes under isothermal conditions for the Titan Mission. Therefore, a highly crosslinked silicone polymeric packed column was developed which is able to efficiently separate amines, alcohols, and hydrocarbons with retention times less that 15 minutes at 100 C isothermal condition.

Shen, T. C.↗

Differential SO2 column measurements of the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic plume

Differential SO2 column measurements of the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic plume were made from a NASA Electra aircraft flying in the Caribbean in July, 1991. The mean column content of the volcanic plume in the Caribbean was 25 micro-atm m (2.5 Dobson units) with periods of over 100 micro-atm m observed. The data indicate that an aerosol absorption or scattering effect occurs for long slant paths (low sun-elevation angles) and that 41 micro-atm m (an average obtained for 1-2 airmasses) is more representative of a true column average. Dispersion of the initial cloud from Mt. Pinatubo and a one-month SO2-to-sulfate conversion-time constant are in good agreement with the column contents found here.

Hoff, Raymond M.↗

Thermal disequilibrium at the top of volcanic clouds and its effect on estimates of the column height

Satellite images of large volcanic explosions reveal that the tops of volcanic eruptions columns are much cooler than the surrounding atmosphere. It is proposed that this effect occurs whenever a mixture of hot volcanic ash and entrained air ascends sufficiently high into a stably stratified atmosphere. Although the mixture is initially very hot, it expands and cools as the ambient pressure decreases. It is shown that cloud-top undercoolings in excess of 20 C may develop in clouds that penetrate the stratosphere, and it is predicted that, for a given cloud-top temperature, variations in the initial temperature of 100-200 C may correspond to variations in the column height of 5-10 km. It is deduced that the present practice of converting satellite-based measurements of the temperature at the top of volcanic eruptions columns to estimates of the column height will produce rather inaccurate results and should therefore be discontinued.

Woods, Andrew W.↗

Ground-based infrared measurements of carbonyl sulfide total column abundances - Long-term trends and variability

Attention is given to total vertical column abundances of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) derived from time series of high-resolution IR solar absorption spectra recorded near Tucson, Arizona, and in the Swiss Alps. The analysis of both data sets is based on nonlinear least squares spectral fittings of narrow intervals centered on lines of the intense nu3 band of OCS, the P(37) transition at 2045.5788/cm, and the P(15) transition at 2055.8609/cm, with a consistent set of spectroscopic line parameters. The Arizona measurements, recorded on 20 different days between May 1977 and March 1991, show a 10-percent peak-to-peak seasonal cycle with a summer maximum and a winter minimum and a trend in the total column abundance equal to (0.1 +/-0.2) percent/yr, 2sigma. The Alpine total columns exhibit a more complex seasonal variation than noted in the Arizona data. The results from the two sites indicate that there has been no significant change in the OCS total column abundance at northern midlatitudes over the last decade.

Rinsland, C. P.↗

NO2 column intercomparison between ground-based measurements at Lauder, New Zealand (45 deg S) and colocated SAGE II satellite measurements

NO2 columns measured at sunset from Lauder, New Zealand (45 deg S, 169.7 deg E) are compared with columns derived from colocated profiles measured by the SAGE II satellite instrument. The comparison period covers more than 3 yr of data since the launch of SAGE II in October 1984. The seasonal cycle is well reproduced in the SAGE II data, and there is reasonable agreement between it and the ground based data. Over the period from 1984 to 1988 the SAGE II NO2 columns show a definite decrease while the Lauder columns remain relatively constant.

Mckenzie, R. L.↗

Notes on the design of latticed columns subject to lateral loads

No rational column formula has yet been developed which gives results which are sufficiently precise for the design of airplane members, and consequently it is necessary to fall back upon experimental testing. In order to derive the maximum benefit from experiments, however, it is necessary that the experiments be guided by theory. It is the object here to modify existing formulae that may be obtained with a minimum number of tests. A discussion is given that is limited to the case of a simple column supported at both ends and subjected to uniformly distributed loads perpendicular to its axis and to end loads either axially or eccentrically applied. Discussed here are forces in the bracing of latticed columns, the application of theory to practical columns, loads in lattice members, and the strength of individual lattices.

Mccarthy, Charles J↗