Grazing Effects on the Seed Pool of \u3cem\u3eStipa Krylovii\u3c/em\u3e and Its Genetic Diversity in Relationship to the Plant Population on a Typical Steppe Community in Inner Mongolia

Stipa krylovii is an important tufted forage species on the typical steppe in Inner Mongolia and is sensitive to heavy grazing pressure. Vegetative recovery of plant density is dependent on the seed bank, which is a genetic reservoir that supports the vegetative expression of the species thus enhancing its resilience (McCue and Holtsford 1998). The ability of the seed bank to support the Stipa krylovii population is dependent on its size and genetic diversity. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine the effects of heavy grazing pressure on its seed reserves and examine its genetic diversity in relation to surviving plants

Grazing Effects on Genetic Diversity of \u3cem\u3eFestuca Campestris\u3c/em\u3e Rydb. And \u3cem\u3eStipa Grandis\u3c/em\u3e L. On the Native Grasslands in Canada and China, Respectively

Genetic drift or selectively neutral mutation in finite populations may result in genetic diversity within a natural population (Kimura, 1986). Genetic diversity influences the resilience of a species to survive perturbations or adapt to changes in its environment. Grazing by livestock may affect genetic diversity by exerting selection pressure on grazing sensitive species. In this study, we examine the effects of heavy sustained grazing pressure on the genetic diversity of Festuca campestris Rydb. and Stipa grandis L. These species are found on the Canadian Plains and the steppes of Inner Mongolia, respectively. Each is an important forage species that dominates their respective grasslands but decline readily when subjected to heavy grazing pressure

Test of a DC-HTS Busbar Demonstrator for Power Distribution in Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems for Aircraft

In the framework of the German project TELOS (Thermo-Electrically Optimised Aircraft Propulsion Systems) a high-temperature superconducting 40 MVA DC demonstrator busbar for hybrid-electric propulsion systems for aircraft has been developed. The design current for a temperature below 25 K is 13.3 kA and the rated voltage is 3 kV. The 2-pole busbar contains 2 stacks of REBCO coated conductors which are supported by a 3D-printed structure allowing compensation of thermal length changes of the superconductor. It fits in a cryostat tube with an inner diameter of 25 mm. A special focus has been put on low-resistive joints that are necessary to connect single elements of the busbar system. The special layout of the joints allows an effective current redistribution between the different tapes in a stack. We present results for the test of the DC busbar demonstrator in liquid nitrogen at 77 K. The design current for this temperature is 3.3 kA which corresponds to a rated power of 10 MW. We applied currents up to 3.5 kA and measured the I-V characteristics and contact resistances of 90° and 180° joints in a virgin and in a strained state thus simulating thermal length changes. We also present results of Lorentz-Force tests with short AC current pulses up to 20 kA to demonstrate the viability of the design for application with currents up to 13.3 k

An energy balance model for paleoclimate transitions

A new energy balance model (EBM) is presented and is used to study paleoclimate transitions. While most previous EBMs only dealt with the globally averaged climate, this new EBM has three variants: Arctic, Antarctic and tropical climates. The EBM incorporates the greenhouse warming effects of both carbon dioxide and water vapour, and also includes ice–albedo feedback and evapotranspiration. The main conclusion to be inferred from this EBM is that the climate system may possess multiple equilibrium states, both warm and frozen, which coexist mathematically. While the actual climate can exist in only one of these states at any given time, the EBM suggests that climate can undergo transitions between the states via mathematical saddle-node bifurcations. This paper proposes that such bifurcations have actually occurred in Paleoclimate transitions. The EBM is applied to the study of the Pliocene paradox, the glaciation of Antarctica and the so-called warm, equable climate problem of both the mid-Cretaceous Period and the Eocene Epoch. In all cases, the EBM is in qualitative agreement with the geological record.</p

Tritium supply and use: a key issue for the development of nuclear fusion energy

Full power operation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has been delayed and will now begin in 2035. Delays to the ITER schedule may affect the availability of tritium for subsequent fusion devices, as the global CANDU-type fission reactor fleet begins to phase out over the coming decades. This study provides an up to date account of future tritium availability by incorporating recent uncertainties over the life extension of the global CANDU fleet, as well as considering the potential impact of tritium demand by other fusion efforts. Despite the delays, our projections suggest that CANDU tritium remains sufficient to support the full operation of ITER. However, whether there is tritium available for a DEMO reactor following ITER is largely uncertain, and is subject to numerous uncontrollable externalities. Further tritium demand may come from any number of private sector “compact fusion” start-ups which have emerged in recent years, all of which aim to accelerate the development of fusion energy. If the associated technical challenges can be overcome, compact fusion programmes have the opportunity to use tritium over the next two decades whilst it is readily available, and before full power DT operation on ITER starts in 2035. Assuming a similar level of performance is achievable, a compact fusion development programme, using smaller reactors operating at lower fusion power, would require smaller quantities of tritium than the ITER programme, leaving sufficient tritium available for multiple concepts to be developed concurrently. The development of concurrent fusion concepts increases the chances of success, as it spreads the risk of failure. Additionally, if full tritium breeding capability is not expected to be demonstrated in DEMO until after 2050, an opportunity exists for compact fusion programmes to incorporate tritium breeding technology in nearer-term devices. DD start-up, which avoids the need for external tritium for reactor start-up, is dependent upon full tritium breeding capability, and may be essential for large-scale commercial roll-out of fusion energy. As such, from the standpoint of availability and use of external tritium, a compact route to fusion energy may be more advantageous, as it avoids longer-term complications and uncertainties in the future supply of tritium

Demonstration of ``regulatory`` process controls on the TSTA cryogenic distillation system

Due to the nature of its fusion reaction, most of the DT used to fuel the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will exit unreacted. This effluent will be purified by the fuel cleanup system so that the isotope separation system (ISS) will be fed only hydrogen isotopes and possibly some helium. The ISS will separate this feed into streams nominally composed of He/H2/HD, D2, DT, and T2. These products will be recycled through appropriate fueling systems back to the fusion reactor or returned to storage. The ISS will have to respond properly to feed conditions which change rapidly. Feed changes will propagate quickly through the entire cascade. It is apparent that an automatic control system will be required to respond to these changes and maintain product quality. It is convenient to divide such a distillation control system into `regulatory` controls and composition controls. The `regulatory` controls include liquid levels, flowrates, reboiler heats, and pressure. A system of regulatory controls has been devised and installed on the four-column cascade of cryogenic columns at the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This tritium-compatible ISS is designed for approximately 1/10 the ITER flowrate and is dedicated to fusion fuel studies. Details of the TSTA ISS have been published previously

Visualization and 3D Reconstruction of Flame Cells of Taenia solium (Cestoda)

BACKGROUND: Flame cells are the terminal cells of protonephridial systems, which are part of the excretory systems of invertebrates. Although the knowledge of their biological role is incomplete, there is a consensus that these cells perform excretion/secretion activities. It has been suggested that the flame cells participate in the maintenance of the osmotic environment that the cestodes require to live inside their hosts. In live Platyhelminthes, by light microscopy, the cells appear beating their flames rapidly and, at the ultrastructural, the cells have a large body enclosing a tuft of cilia. Few studies have been performed to define the localization of the cytoskeletal proteins of these cells, and it is unclear how these proteins are involved in cell function. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Parasites of two different developmental stages of T. solium were used: cysticerci recovered from naturally infected pigs and intestinal adults obtained from immunosuppressed and experimentally infected golden hamsters. Hamsters were fed viable cysticerci to recover adult parasites after one month of infection. In the present studies focusing on flame cells of cysticerci tissues was performed. Using several methods such as video, confocal and electron microscopy, in addition to computational analysis for reconstruction and modeling, we have provided a 3D visual rendition of the cytoskeletal architecture of Taenia solium flame cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We consider that visual representations of cells open a new way for understanding the role of these cells in the excretory systems of Platyhelminths. After reconstruction, the observation of high resolution 3D images allowed for virtual observation of the interior composition of cells. A combination of microscopic images, computational reconstructions and 3D modeling of cells appears to be useful for inferring the cellular dynamics of the flame cell cytoskeleton

Caesium incorporation and retention in illite interlayers

Radioactive caesium (chiefly 137Cs) is a major environmental pollutant. The mobility of Cs in temperate soils is primarily controlled by sorption onto clay minerals, particularly the frayed edges of illite interlayers. This paper investigates the adsorption of Cs to illite at the molecular scale, over both the short and long term. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that after initial absorption into the frayed edges, Cs migrated into the illite interlayer becoming incorporated within the mineral structure. Caesium initially exchanged with hydrated Ca at the frayed edges, causing them to collapse. This process was irreversible as Cs held in the collapsed interlayers was not exchangeable with Ca. Over the long term Cs did not remain at the edge of the illite crystals, but diffused into the interlayers by exchange with K. Results from extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) and density functional theory modelling confirmed that Cs was incorporated into the illite interlayer and revealed its bonding environment