Field Measurements of Terrestrial and Martian Dust Devils

Surface-based measurements of terrestrial and martian dust devils/convective vortices provided from mobile and stationary platforms are discussed. Imaging of terrestrial dust devils has quantified their rotational and vertical wind speeds, translation speeds, dimensions, dust load, and frequency of occurrence. Imaging of martian dust devils has provided translation speeds and constraints on dimensions, but only limited constraints on vertical motion within a vortex. The longer mission durations on Mars afforded by long operating robotic landers and rovers have provided statistical quantification of vortex occurrence (time-of-sol, and recently seasonal) that has until recently not been a primary outcome of more temporally limited terrestrial dust devil measurement campaigns. Terrestrial measurement campaigns have included a more extensive range of measured vortex parameters (pressure, wind, morphology, etc.) than have martian opportunities, with electric field and direct measure of dust abundance not yet obtained on Mars. No martian robotic mission has yet provided contemporaneous high frequency wind and pressure measurements. Comparison of measured terrestrial and martian dust devil characteristics suggests that martian dust devils are larger and possess faster maximum rotational wind speeds, that the absolute magnitude of the pressure deficit within a terrestrial dust devil is an order of magnitude greater than a martian dust devil, and that the time-of-day variation in vortex frequency is similar. Recent terrestrial investigations have demonstrated the presence of diagnostic dust devil signals within seismic and infrasound measurements; an upcoming Mars robotic mission will obtain similar measurement types

Adsorption of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn in tropical soils under competitive and non-competitive systems

The adsorption of heavy metals in soils affects their behavior in the environment and their bioavailability to plants. The knowledge of the adsorption mechanisms in competitive systems allows a more realistic evaluation of the metals' behavior in the soil than the single metal adsorption. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn adsorption in 14 surface samples (0-0.2 m) of representative soils of the Brazilian humid-tropical region, in competitive and non-competitive systems, and (ii) to establish metal affinity sequences for each soil, based in the maximum adsorption capacity (MAC) estimated by the Langmuir model. The Rhodic Eutrudox, the Kandiudalf Eutrudox, the Arenic Hapludalf, the Arenic Hapludult and the Typic Argiudoll had the highest metals' adsorption capacity, whereas the Typic Quartzipsamment and the sandy-textured Arenic Hapludult had the lowest values. In general, the MAC values for metals were lower in the competitive than in the non-competitive system. In the non-competitive system, the most common affinity sequence was Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd, whereas the most common sequence was Cu > Cd > Zn > Ni in the competitive system. In general, the Langmuir model fitted well the adsorption data of metals on the studied soils.A adsorção de metais pesados em solos afeta seu comportamento e biodisponibilidade às plantas. O conhecimento dos mecanismos de adsorção em sistemas competitivos permite uma avaliação mais realista do comportamento dos metais no solo do que estudos com adsorção de cada metal, isoladamente. Os objetivos desse trabalho foram: (i) avaliar a adsorção de Cd, Cu, Ni e Zn em amostras superficiais (0-0,2 m) de 14 solos representativos da região tropical úmida, em sistema competitivo e não-competitivo, e (ii) estabelecer sequências de afinidade metálica para cada solo, com base nos valores de capacidade máxima de adsorção (CMA) dos metais estimados por meio do modelo de Langmuir. O Rhodic Eutrudox, o Kandiudalfic Eutrudox, o Arenic Hapludalf (Alf2), o Arenic Hapludult (Ult2) e o Typic Argiudoll apresentaram elevadas capacidades de adsorção dos metais, ocorrendo o inverso para o Typic Quartzipsamment e para o Arenic Hapludult textura arenosa. No geral, a CMA dos metais aos solos foi menor no sistema competitivo. A sequência de afinidade mais comumente encontrada no sistema não-competitivo foi Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd. No sistema competitivo, a sequência foi Cu > Cd > Zn > Ni. Em geral, o modelo de Langmuir simulou de maneira satisfatória a adsorção dos metais nas amostras de solo

Replacement of the herpes simplex virus type 1 Vmw175 DNA binding domain with its varicella-zoster virus counterpart results in a protein with novel regulatory properties that can support virus growth

The alphaherpesviruses encode major immediate early transactivator proteins that are essential for the expression of later classes of viral genes. We have previously shown that the extensive sequence similarity between the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) members of the family (proteins Vmw175 and VZV140k) extends to function, since a virus which expresses VZV140k in place of Vmw175 is able to grow, albeit at reduced efficiency. We have also shown that the DNA binding characteristics of the isolated DNA binding domains of Vmw175 and VZV140k are related but distinct. In order to assess whether the different DNA binding properties of the two proteins are responsible for the differences in their individual transcriptional regulatory functions, we constructed a plasmid and an HSV-1 virus in which the VZV140k DNA binding domain coding sequences replace those of Vmw175. The characteristics of the resultant hybrid protein in transfection assays and during virus infection suggest that the nature of the DNA binding domain plays a significant role in the transactivation and repression properties of the Vmw1 75 family of proteins