1,879 research outputs found
Haemoglobin and size dependent constraints on swimbladder inflation in fish larvae
In developmental studies of fish species (especially physostomians) it could be demonstrated,
that the lack of haemoglobin during larval and juvenile stages is a relatively common phenomenon.
Generally it is linked with body translucency. In representatives of the families Galaxiidae,
Osmeridae and Clupeidae, partly reared, partly observed immediately after being caught in the wild, it
turned out, that this condition coincides with a considerable delay in swimbladder inflation. To determine
the moment of its first inflation, larvae placed in a hermetic chamber were observed under a
dissecting microscope. While lowering the pressure, the expanding swimbladder showed whether or
not its content is really gaseous. The reason postulated to be responsible for the delayed inflation is
that larvae lacking haemoglobin do not have the possibility of oxygen transport to their buoyancy
organ by means of the blood. Apart of this, capillarity force calculations and body force estimations
show that with decreasing size the constraints linked with surface tension increase overproportionally.
While in larger sized larvae like trout we could demonstrate inflation by swallowing air, in species with
small larvae this was not the case. Below a certain size, even in physostomians, the ductus pneumaticus
is no alternative to the blood pathway for swimbladder inflation
The Lagrangian frequency spectrum as a diagnostic for magnetohydrodynamic turbulence dynamics
For the phenomenological description of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence
competing models exist, e.g. Boldyrev [Phys.Rev.Lett. \textbf{96}, 115002,
2006] and Gogoberidze [Phys.Plas. \textbf{14}, 022304, 2007], which predict the
same Eulerian inertial-range scaling of the turbulent energy spectrum although
they employ fundamentally different basic interaction mechanisms. {A relation
is found that links} the Lagrangian frequency spectrum {with} the
autocorrelation timescale of the turbulent fluctuations, ,
and the associated cascade timescale, . Thus, the
Lagrangian energy spectrum can serve to identify weak
() and strong
() interaction mechanisms providing
insight into the turbulent energy cascade. The new approach is illustrated by
results from direct numerical simulations of two- and three-dimensional
incompressible MHD turbulence.Comment: accepted for publication in PR
Hysteresis phenomenon in turbulent convection
Coherent large-scale circulations of turbulent thermal convection in air have
been studied experimentally in a rectangular box heated from below and cooled
from above using Particle Image Velocimetry. The hysteresis phenomenon in
turbulent convection was found by varying the temperature difference between
the bottom and the top walls of the chamber (the Rayleigh number was changed
within the range of ). The hysteresis loop comprises the one-cell
and two-cells flow patterns while the aspect ratio is kept constant (). We found that the change of the sign of the degree of the anisotropy of
turbulence was accompanied by the change of the flow pattern. The developed
theory of coherent structures in turbulent convection (Elperin et al. 2002;
2005) is in agreement with the experimental observations. The observed coherent
structures are superimposed on a small-scale turbulent convection. The
redistribution of the turbulent heat flux plays a crucial role in the formation
of coherent large-scale circulations in turbulent convection.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, REVTEX4, Experiments in Fluids, 2006, in pres
Geodynamo alpha-effect derived from box simulations of rotating magnetoconvection
The equations for fully compressible rotating magnetoconvection are
numerically solved in a Cartesian box assuming conditions roughly suitable for
the geodynamo. The mean electromotive force describing the generation of mean
magnetic flux by convective turbulence in the rotating fluid is directly
calculated from the simulations, and the corresponding alpha-coefficients are
derived. Due to the very weak density stratification the alpha-effect changes
its sign in the middle of the box. It is positive at the top and negative at
the bottom of the convection zone. For strong magnetic fields we also find a
clear downward advection of the mean magnetic field. Both of the simulated
effects have been predicted by quasi-linear computations (Soward, 1979;
Kitchatinov and Ruediger, 1992). Finally, the possible connection of the
obtained profiles of the EMF with mean-field models of oscillating
alpha^2-dynamos is discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, submitted to Phys. Earth Planet. Inte
Rubrobacter aplysinae sp. nov., isolated from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba
A Gram-stain-positive, non-spore-forming bacterium (strain RV113(T)) was isolated from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain RV113(T) belongs to the genus Rubrobacter, and is related most closely to Rubrobacter bracarensis VF70612_S1(T) (96.9% similarity) and more distantly related (<93%) to all other species of the genus Rubrobacter. The peptidoglycan diamino acid was lysine. Strain RV113(T) exhibited a quinone system with menaquinone MK-8 as the predominant compound. The polar lipid profile of strain RV113(T) consisted of the major compounds phosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified phosphoglycolipids. The major fatty acid was anteiso-C17 : 0ω9c. These chemotaxonomic traits are in agreement with those of other species of the genus Rubrobacter. The results of physiological and biochemical tests allowed the clear phenotypic differentiation of strain RV113(T) from all recognized Rubrobacter species. Strain RV113(T) is thus considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Rubrobacter aplysinae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is RV113(T) ( = DSM 27440(T) = CECT 8425(T))
Patterns of convection in rotating spherical shells
Patterns of convection in internally heated, self-gravitating rotating
spherical fluid shells are investigated through numerical simulations. While
turbulent states are of primary interest in planetary and stellar applications
the present paper emphasizes more regular dynamical features at Rayleigh
numbers not far above threshold which are similar to those which might be
observed in laboratory or space experiments. Amplitude vacillations and spatial
modulations of convection columns are common features at moderate and large
Prandtl numbers. In the low Prandtl number regime equatorially attached
convection evolves differently with increasing Rayleigh number and exhibits an
early transition into a chaotic state. Relationships of the dynamical features
to coherent structures in fully turbulent convection states are emphasized
Actinokineospora spheciospongiae sp. nov., isolated from the marine sponge Spheciospongia vagabunda
A Gram-positive staining, aerobic organism, isolated from the the Red Sea sponge Spheciospongia vagabunda was investigated for its taxonomic position. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis strain EG49T was most closely related to Actinokineospora cibodasensis and Actinokineospora baliensis (both 97.3%) and Actinokineospora diospyrosas and Actinokineospora auranticolor (both 97.0%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to all other Actinokineospora species was < 97.0 %. The quinone system of strain EG49T contains the menaqinone MK-9(H4), (47%), MK-9(H6), (27%) and MK-9(H2), (15%) in major amounts. Minor amounts of MK-7(H4), (2%), MK-9(H0), (1%), MK-9(H8) (3%) and MK-10(H4) (3%) were detected as well in addition to MK-8(H4), MK-8(H6), MK-10(H2) and MK-10(H6) (all <1%). The diagnostic diaminoacid of the peptidoglycan is meso-diaminopimelic acid. In the polar lipid profile, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and hydroxyl-phosphatidylethanolamine are predominant. Phosphatidylinositol-mannoside, two unidentified phospholipids and two glycoglipids as well as one aminoglycolipid, one aminolipid and one unidentified lipid are found in addition. Fatty acid profile composed of mainly iso-branched fatty acids: iso-C16:0, iso-C14:0, iso-C15:0, and iso-C16:1 H. All these data clearly supported the allocation of the strain to the genus Actinokineospora. In addition, the results of physiological and biochemical tests also allowed phenotypic differentiation of strain EG49T from the most closely related Actinokineospora species. Strain EG49T represents a new species of the genus Actinokineospora, for which we propose the name Actinokineospora spheciospongiae sp. nov., with strain EG49T (= DSM 45935T = CCM 8480T = LMG 27700T) as the type strain
For-profit hospitals have thrived because of generous public reimbursement schemes, not greater efficiency: a multi-country case study
For-profit hospitals’ market share has increased in many nations over recent decades. Previous studies suggest that their growth is not attributable to superior performance on access, quality of care, or efficiency. We analyzed other factors that we hypothesized may contribute to the increasing role of for-profit hospitals. We studied the historical development of the for-profit hospital sector across 4 nations with contrasting trends in for-profit hospital market share: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. We focused on 3 factors that we believed might help explain why the role of for-profits grew in some nations but not in others: (1) the treatment of for-profits by public reimbursement plans, (2) physicians’ financial interests, and (3) the effect of the political environment. We conclude that access to subsidies and reimbursement under favorable terms from public health care payors is an important factor in the rise of for-profit hospitals. Arrangements that aligned financial incentives of physicians with the interests of for-profit hospitals were important in stimulating for-profit growth in an earlier era, but they play little role at present. Remarkably, the environment for for-profit ownership seems to have been largely immune to political shifts
Magnetic Field Saturation in the Riga Dynamo Experiment
After the dynamo experiment in November 1999 had shown magnetic field
self-excitation in a spiraling liquid metal flow, in a second series of
experiments emphasis was placed on the magnetic field saturation regime as the
next principal step in the dynamo process. The dependence of the strength of
the magnetic field on the rotation rate is studied. Various features of the
saturated magnetic field are outlined and possible saturation mechanisms are
discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figure
Some Unusual Properties of Turbulent Convection and Dynamos in Rotating Spherical Shells
The dynamics of convecting fluids in rotating spherical shells is governed at
Prandtl numbers of the order unity by the interaction between differential
rotation and roll-like convection eddies. While the differential rotation is
driven by the Reynolds stresses of the eddies, its shearing action inhibits
convection and causes phenomena such as localized convection and turbulent
relaxation oscillations. The response of the system is enriched in the case of
dynamo action. Lorentz forces may brake either entirely or partially the
geostrophic differential rotation and give rise to two rather different dynamo
states. Bistability of turbulent dynamos exists for magnetic Prandtl numbers of
the order unity. While the ratios between mean magnetic and kinetic energies
differ by a factor of 5 or more for the two dynamo states, the mean convective
heat transports are nearly the same. They are much larger than in the absence
of a magnetic field.Comment: To appear in Procs. IUTAM Symposium on Turbulence in the Atmosphere
and Oceans, 08-7 = GA.06-0
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