Biomass is an important ecological variable for understanding the responses of vegetation to the currently observed global change. The impact of changes in vegetation biomass on the global ecosystem is also of high relevance. The vegetation in the arid and semi-arid environments of Kazakhstan is expected to be affected particularly strongly by future climate change. Therefore, it is of great interest to observe large-scale vegetation dynamics and biomass distribution in Kazakhstan. At the beginning of this dissertation, previous research activities and remote-sensing-based methods for biomass estimation in semi-arid regions have been comprehensively reviewed for the first time. The review revealed that the biggest challenge is the transferability of methods in time and space. Empirical approaches, which are predominantly applied, proved to be hardly transferable. Remote-sensing-based Net Primary Productivity (NPP) models, on the other hand, allow for regional to continental modelling of NPP time-series and are potentially transferable to new regions. This thesis thus deals with modelling and analysis of NPP time-series for Kazakhstan and presents a methodological concept for derivation of above-ground biomass estimates based on NPP data. For validation of the results, biomass field data were collected in three study areas in Kazakhstan. For the selection of an appropriate model, two remote-sensing-based NPP models were applied to a study area in Central Kazakhstan. The first is the Regional Biomass Model (RBM). The second is the Biosphere Energy Transfer Hydrology Model (BETHY/DLR). Both models were applied to Kazakhstan for the first time in this dissertation. Differences in the modelling approaches, intermediate products, and calculated NPP, as well as their temporal characteristics were analysed and discussed. The model BETHY/DLR was then used to calculate NPP for Kazakhstan for 2003–2011. The results were analysed regarding spatial, intra-annual, and inter-annual variations. In addition, the correlation between NPP and meteorological parameters was analysed. In the last part of this dissertation, a methodological concept for derivation of above-ground biomass estimates of natural vegetation from NPP time-series has been developed. The concept is based on the NPP time-series, information about fractional cover of herbaceous and woody vegetation, and plants’ relative growth rates (RGRs). It has been the first time that these parameters are combined for biomass estimation in semi-arid regions. The developed approach was finally applied to estimate biomass for the three study areas in Kazakhstan and validated with field data. The results of this dissertation provide information about the vegetation dynamics in Kazakhstan for 2003–2011. This is valuable information for a sustainable land management and the identification of regions that are potentially affected by a changing climate. Furthermore, a methodological concept for the estimation of biomass based on NPP time-series is presented. The developed method is potentially transferable. Providing that the required information regarding vegetation distribution and fractional cover is available, the method will allow for repeated and large-area biomass estimation for natural vegetation in Kazakhstan and other semi-arid environments.

This thesis is a follow up on "SPARC fast reactor design: Design of two passively metal-fuelled sodium-cooled pool-type small modular fast reactors with Autonomous Reactivity Control" by Tobias Lindström (2015). In this thesis the two reactors designed by Lindström in said thesis were evaluated. The goal was to determine the reactors ability to load follow as well as the burnup of the neutron absorber used in the passive control system. To be able to determine the dynamic behaviour of the reactors the reactivity feedbacks of the cores were modelled using Serpent, a Monte Carlo simulation software for 3D neutron transport calculations. These feedbacks were then implemented into a dynamic simulation of the core, primary and secondary circulation and steam generator. The secondary circulation and feedwater flow were used to regulate steam temperature and turbine power. The core was left at constant coolant flow and no control rods were used. The simulations showed that the reactor was able to load follow between 100 % and 40 % of rated power at a speed of 6 % per minute. It was also shown that the reactor could safely adjust its power between 100 % and 10 % of rated power suggesting that load following is possible below 40 % of rated power but at a lower speed. Finally the reactors were allowed compensate for the variations in a week of the Latvian wind power production in order to show one possible application of the reactor.

Les salmonelles sont l'une des causes les plus importantes de maladie transmise par les produits laitiers crus. L'appréciation du risque associé à la consommation de ces produits est nécessaire et la méthode la plus appropriée pour réaliser ce but est l'utilisation du processus d'analyse de risque qui associe les microbes pathogènes dans l'aliment au problème de santé publique. Le but principal de cette thèse est donc d'évaluer quantitativement le risque de salmonellose humaine lié à la consommation de viande hachée. Les lacunes qui sont en général identifiées pour l'appréciation des risques sont le manque de données quantitatives sur les microbes pathogènes contaminant les aliments. Donc, comme premier objectif de cette thèse, nous avons développée une méthode rapide, sensible et fiable pour la quantification des salmonelles dans les échantillons fécaux bovins artificiellement contaminés. La méthode a combiné les principes de la méthode du nombre-le plus-probable (NPP) avec une analyse PCR en temps réel. Avec cette analyse (NPP-PCR en temps réel) fiable niveau de la contamination (1-5 ufc/mL) du fécal peut être énuméré après 8 h d'enrichissement non-sélectif dans l'eau peptone tamponée. Toutes les valeurs de nombre le plus probable ont bien correspondu au niveau estimé de contamination des salmonelles inoculées dans les échantillons fécaux. Afin d'évaluer l'utilité de cette analyse de quantification, notre deuxième objectif était de l'appliquer aux échantillons fécaux naturellement contaminés recueillis de l'abattoir trouvé dans Meaux, la France chaque semaine en février et le mars de 2006 (une moyenne de 40 échantillons par visite). 9.12 % (27/296) et 34.62 % (9/26) les échantillons fécaux et de l'environnement, respectivement, ont été trouvés positif de salmonella, avec les valeurs de NPP estimées ou les comptes de Salmonella aux limites de <1.8 - 1609 MPN/g d'échantillons fécaux. The moyen de la concentration log10 de Salmonella est 0.6189 MPN/g avec les déviations standrdard de 2.7112 en utilisant l'approche de rétrogradation censurée. Les comptes étaient généralement bas, à l'exception de 6 animaux (> 1400 MPN/g), pendant que tous les autres 21 Salmonella les animaux positifs avait des matières fécales avec moins de 80 MPN/g (d'eux 13 animaux avec les valeurs de MPN <1.8 MPN/g. La prédominance de Salmonella n'a montré aucune différence significative (p=1) entre le français (8.63 %, 17/197) et bétail belge (10 %, 10/99). En outre, aucun la région des animaux d'origine (p=0.75), l'âge (p=0.18), la course (p=0.94), la race (p=0.23), ou le mouvement de l'animal (p=0.89) n'avait aucun impact sur la prédominance de Salmonella. L'application de l'essai de PCR NPP-en-temps-réel pour quantifier la Salmonella dans fécal s'est avérée être rapide, facile à exécuter et extrêmement sensible. Dans l'appréciation de risques potentiels associés à la Salmonella dans la viande hachée il était nécessaire d'examiner la capacité des salmonelles à se développer dans la viande hachée. Donc, nous avons présenté dans cette thèse comme un troisième objectif, le modèle d'une croissance / aucune interface de croissance de Salmonella dans la viande hachée. Des données de croissance / non croissance ont été modelées par la rétrogradation de polynôme logistique sur les données de croissance disponibles pour la Salmonella dans la viande hachée dans les papiers publiés et toutes les données rattachées a la viande hachée dans ComBase nous mènent afin d'à une description exacte des conditions que la Salmonella ne peut la croissance / aucune croissance. Les résultats généraux indiquent clairement que la température est la plus importante et le seul facteur significatif dans l'étude. Il n'y avait aucune croissance observée à la température moins que 10°C. Où comme la température 10°C et 12°C sont la seule température; nous n'avons vraiment observé la croissance / aucune croissance (quelquefois avec les mêmes conditions). Bien que pH et l'activité d'eau soient des facteurs importants pour la croissance microbienne, dans notre étude ils n'ont aucun effet en raison de la structure de viande. Finalement, un modèle d'appréciation du risque de salmonellose humaine liée à la consommation viande haché est présentée qui est basée sur les résultats des objectifs précédemment mentionnés dans cette thèse. Différentes distributions ont été posées en hypothèse pour des paramètres du modèle et une simulation de Monte Carlo a été employée pour modeler le processus et pour mesurer le risque lié à la consommation de la portion de 100 g de bœuf haché. Le pourcentage attendu de portions de bœuf haché avec la contamination plus grande que 5, 10 et 100 cellules de Salmonella était 29 %, 17,1 % et 0,02 %, respectivement au moment de la consommation. Le risque de salmonellose par portion de 100g varie de 0 à 2,33 x 10-6 en fonction au type de cuisson et de la teneur en matière grasse. Pour 10 millions de portions de 100 g, le nombre attendu de cas de salmonellose prévu par le modèle est en moyenne 11, 12 pour les teneurs en matière grasse 7 % et 24. Le risque de salmonellose par portion de 100g varie de 0 à 2,33 x 10-6 en fonction au type de cuisson et de la teneur en matière grasse. Le risque de salmonellose est proche de zéro quand le bœuf haché est consommé bien cuit. Le risque relatif de salmonellose avec le bœuf haché saignant est 312 ou 61 fois plus élevé pour les teneurs 7 % et 24 % en matière grasse par comparaison avec la viande hachée bien cuit. Il y a 35 lots sur 2000 qui provoquent des cas (1,8 %). Quinze d'entre eux causent 2 cas ou plus (0,75 %, 15/2000).

No description available.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease autoimmune of unknown etiology. Patients with RA have a lower survival than the general population, the most common cause of mortality in these patients is cardiovascular disease. The systemic inflammation that occurs in RA produces a spectrum of proatherogenic changes including endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, prothrombotic effects and pro-oxidative stress. Endothelial dysfunction is the key event in early atherogenesis. The platelets are known to have an important role in the maintenance of endothelial integrity and homeostasis, and also are key players in atherothrombosis. Extracellular adenine nucleotides ATP, ADP and AMP and the nucleoside adenosine, modulate a variety of tissue effects, exerting several effects on the platelets. This work determined the activity of enzymes involved in the degradation of nucleotides and nucleosides (NTPDase, 5 -nucleotidase E-NPP and ADA) in platelets from patients with RA and controls patients. It was selected thirty-five RA patients from the Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Maria and the diagnostic was based on the criteria of American College of Rheumatology. The results showed an increase in the activity of NTPDase (approximately 100%), 5 -nucleotidase (170%), E-NPP (approximately 100%) and ADA (approximately 45%) in the platelets of patients with RA when compared to control group. The increased activity of these enzymes could be related to a compensatory response of the organism due to the disease. The platelet aggregation was also determined in these patients and no changes were found when compared to the control group. The increase in ADA activity was lower when compared to the increase observed in the other enzymes activities (NTPDase, 5 -nucleotidase and ENPP). Possibly not all generated adenosine is converted by the ADA, which could explain the normality of platelet aggregation in patients with RA. No interference of the drugs (methotrexate, leflunomide,hydroxychloroquine and prednisone) utilized in RA treatment was observed on the enzymatic activities tested in vitro. In this way, it is possible to conclude that the NTPDase, 5 -nucleotidase, E-NPP and ADA activities are altered in platelets of patients with RA, which could be considered a compensatory response against the disease. / A artrite reumatóide (AR) é uma doença inflamatória crônica autoimune, de etiologia desconhecida. Os pacientes portadores de AR têm uma sobrevida menor do que a da população em geral, sendo que a causa mais comum de mortalidade é a doença cardiovascular. A inflamação sistêmica que ocorre na AR produz um espectro de mudanças proaterogênicas que incluem a disfunção endotelial, a resistência à insulina, a dislipidemia, os efeitos protrombóticos e o estresse oxidativo. A disfunção endotelial é um evento chave no início da aterogênese. As plaquetas são conhecidas por ter um importante papel na manutenção da integridade endotelial e da hemostasia, possuindo um papel chave na aterotrombose. Os nucleotídeos extracelulares de adenina ATP, ADP e AMP e o nucleosídeo adenosina, modulam uma variedade de efeitos teciduais, além de exercererm diversos efeitos nas plaquetas. Neste trabalho foi determinada a atividade das enzimas envolvidas na degradação de nucleotídeos e nucleosídeos (NTPDase, 5 -nucleotidase, E-NPP e ADA) em plaquetas de pacientes com AR. Foram selecionados 35 pacientes do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria com diagnóstico de AR, o qual foi baseado nos critérios de classificação do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia. Os resultados demonstraram um aumento na atividade das enzimas NTPDase (aproximadamente 100%), 5 -nucleotidase (170%), E-NPP (aproximadamente 100%) e ADA (aproximadamente 45%) em plaquetas de pacientes com AR quando comparado ao controle. O aumento da atividade dessas enzimas pode estar relacionado com uma resposta compensatória do organismo frente à doença. Também foi determinado o perfil da agregação plaquetária nesses pacientes, o qual encontrou-se inalterado quando comparado ao controle. O aumento da atividade da enzima ADA foi menor quando comparado ao aumento das atividades das outras enzimas (NTPDase, 5 -nucleotidase e E-NPP). Possivelmente, nem toda a adenosina gerada é convertida pela ADA, o que poderia explicar a normalidade da agregação plaquetária nos pacientes estudados. Não foi observada nenhuma interferência dos fármacos (hidroxicloroquina, leflunomida, metotrexato e prednisona) utilizados no tratamento de AR sobre a atividade das enzimas testadas in vitro. Concluiu-se que a atividade das enzimas NTPDase, 5 -nucleotidase, E-NPP e ADA encontram-se alteradas em plaquetas de pacientes com AR, o que poderia ser considerado uma resposta compensatória do organismo frente à doença.

No description available.

The Earth harbors around 300 000 plant species. The rich and complex environment provided by plants is considered a key factor for the extraordinary diversity of the terrestrial fauna by, for example, providing food and shelter. This thesis contributes to the understanding of these questions by investigating how the interplay of physiology, demography, and evolution gives rise to variation and diversity in fundamental plant traits. This will help us answer questions such as: How has this amazing diversity of plant species emerged? Which mechanisms maintain diversity? How are plant strategies and plant diversity influenced by variations in the environment? A plant faces multiple problems to survive and reproduce successfully. These problems can be modeled by considering traits, trade-offs and a fitness measure. For example: How to maximize growth rate, while maximizing structural stability? I will investigate four plant models in order to understand the function of plants, and mechanisms promoting diversity.  Paper I: We study how annual plants with and without growth constraints should optimize their flowering time when productivity or season length changes. With a dynamic ontogenetic growth model and optimal control theory we prove that a bang-bang reproductive control is optimal under constrained growth and constant mortality rate. We find that growth constraints can flip the direction of optimal phenological response for increasing productivity. The reason is that the growth rate of vegetative mass saturates at high productivity and therefore it is better to flower earlier and take advantage of a longer reproductive period. If season length extends equally both in the beginning and the end of the season, growth constraints control the direction of the optimal response as well. Our theory can help explaining phenological patterns along productivity gradients, and can be linked to empirical observations made on a calendar scale. Paper II: We introduce a new measure of tree crown-rise efficiency based on the loss of biomass of the tree during growth. The more mass the tree looses during growth, the less crown-rise efficient it is. Top-heavy shapes loose more biomass than bottom-heavy shapes. Light-use efficiency is defined as the mean light assimilation of the leaves in the crown times the ratio of leaf mass and total mass. We then study the trade-off between light-use efficiency to crown-rise efficiency for tree crown shapes. We assume that the total tree mass is constant, and a constant vertical light gradient represent the shading from a surrounding forest. We find large differences in crown shapes at intermediate vertical light gradient, when both self-shading and mean-field shading are important, suggesting light-use vs crown-rise efficiency as a new trade-off that can explain tree diversity. Our crown-rise efficiency measure could easily be integrated into existing forest models. Paper III: We extend an evolutionary tree crown model, where trees with different heights compete for light, with drought-induced mortality rates depending on ground-water availability and the depth of an optional taproot. The model does not include competition for ground water. Our model explains how ground-water availability can shape plant communities, when taproot and non-taproot strategies can coexist, and when only one of these strategies can persist. We investigate how emerging plant diversity varies with water table depth, soil water gradient and drought-induced mortality rate. The taproot enables plants to reach deep water, thus reducing mortality, but also carries a construction cost, thus inducing a trade-off. We find that taproots maintain plant diversity under increasing drought mortality, and that taproots evolve when groundwater is accessible at low depths. There are no viable strategies at high drought mortality and deep water table. Red Queen evolutionary dynamics appear at intermediate drought mortality in mixed communities with and without taproots, as the community never reaches a final evolutionarily stable composition. Paper IV: We extend a size-structured plant model, with self-shading and two evolving traits, crown top-heaviness and crown width-to-height ratio. The model allows us to identify salient trade-offs for the crown shape. The most important trade-off for top-heaviness is light-use efficiency vs crownrise efficiency, and the most important trade-off for width-to-height ratio is self-shading vs branch costs. We find that when the two traits coevolve; the outcome is a single common evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS), far away from the highest net primary production (NPP). When only sun angle is decreasing with increasing latitude both the crown width-to-height ratio and crown top-heaviness decrease. However, when light response in addition to the sun angle decreases with increasing latitude, the crown width-to-height ratio is nearly invariant of latitude except at low site productivity when the ratio decreases with latitude. Top-heaviness is always decreasing with increasing latitude. Finally, we find that crown top-heaviness increases with the NPP or leaf-area index (LAI) at ESS, but crown width-to-height ratio is maximal at an intermediate NPP or LAI. / Artikel I: Arters reproduktionsframgång (fitness), till exempel antal avkommor eller frön som produceras under livet, är ofta avgörande för huruvida de är evolutionärt framgångsrika eller inte. Här undersöker vi hur ettåriga växter med eller utan tillväxtbegränsningar ska optimera sin blomningstid när produktivitet eller säsongslängd ändras. Det är optimalt att gå direkt från tillväxt till blomning när tillväxten är begränsad och dödligheten är konstant. Vid ökad produktivitet sker blomningen tidigare med tillväxtbegränsningar men senare utan tillväxtbegränsningar, vilket beror på att med tillväxtbegränsningar ökar den vegetativa massan långsamt. Därför är det bättre att blomma tidigare och ta tillvara på en längre reproduktionsperiod. Vi får samma resultat om säsongslängden ökar lika mycket i början och slutet av säsongen. Vår teori kan bidra till att förutsäga blomningstider vid produktivitetsförändringar och säsongsförändringar. Artikel II: Tillväxten hos träd kan begränsas av brist på ljus, vatten, och näring, men också genom förlust av grenar. Vi introducerar ett nytt mått på tillväxteffektiviteten hos trädkronor baserat på förlust av biomassa under trädets tillväxt. Ju mer massa trädet förlorar under tillväxt, desto mindre tillväxteffektiva är de. Topptunga former förlorar mer biomassa än bottentunga former. Vi studerar avvägningar mellan ljuseffektivitet och tillväxteffektivitet för trädformer, där ljuseffektiviteten definieras som medelljusupptaget för löven i kronan. Vi antar en konstant totalmassa, och en statisk vertikal skuggning som representerar skuggningen från en omgivande skog. Vi hittar stora skillnader i kronformer vid en medelhög skuggning, då både självskuggningen och medelskuggningen har betydelse. Vårt mått för tillväxteffektivitet kan enkelt integreras i existerande skogsmodeller. Studien visar att avvägningar mellan tillväxteffektivitet och ljuseffektivitetet kan vara viktig för mångfalden av trädformer i en skog. En överraskande upptäckt är att konformade eller sfäriska trädkronor aldrig är effektiva, men däremot timglasformade kronor. Artikel III: Växter kan försvara sig på olika sätt mot torka, till exempel genom att rulla ihop bladen eller genom att reproducera tidigare och därigenom undvika uttdragen torka. Här undersöker vi fördelarna med en pålrot vid torka. En pålrot är en rot som växer nedåt för att nå djupliggande grundvatten. Vi utvidgar en evolutionär modell av trädkronor med grundvatten och en pålrot, där träd med olika höjd konkurrerar om ljus. Det finns ingen konkurrens om vatten. Vi undersöker hur mångfalden hos träden beror på vattendjup, vattengradient och dödlighet orsakad av torka. Med hjälp av pålroten kan träden nå djupt vatten och därigenom minska dödligheten, men den medför också en kostnad, så en avvägning måste göras. Vi ser att pålrötter upprätthåller mångfalden hos växterna vid ökad mortalitet, och att pålrötter uppstår när grundvattnet är grunt. Det finns inga strategier som kan överleva om grundvattnet är djupt och dödligheten är hög. Vår modell kan förklara hur grundvatten kan förändra sammansättningen på trädsamhällen, när träd med och utan pålrot kan samexistera, och under vilka förutsättningar endast en av strategierna förväntas dominera. Artikel IV: Träd som växer upp i en skog måste konkurrera med andra träd om ljus, framförallt större träd. Detta ger upphov till en asymmetrisk ljuskonkurrens, där de små träden hämmas av större träd. Små träd har därmed små chanser att överleva utom då skogen nyligen störts och det öppnas upp en glänta. Vid denna ljuskonkurrens kan man anta att trädkronans form har stor betydelse för trädets framgång. Frågan är hur de evolutionärt fördelaktiga kronformerna beror på latituden och produktiviteten. Vi antar att latituden påverkar solens genomsnittliga vinkel och ljusrespons. Vi utvidgar en storleksstrukturerad trädmodell med självskuggning där två evolverande egenskaper beskriver kronans topptyngd och bredd. Med modellen kan vi undersöka vilka strategiska avvägningar som bestämmer om kronans form blir konkurrenskraftig. En topptung krona har högt ljusupptag eftersom det finns mest ljus högt upp i grenverket. Å andra sidan har den en låg tillväxteffektivitet eftersom topptunga kronor måste tappa mycket grenar för att behålla sin form. En bred krona har en låg självskuggning eftersom bladen är utspridda. Å andra sidan har den höga kostnader för de långa grenar som krävs. Vi finner att när dessa egenskaper evolverar tillsammans så finns endast en evolutionärt stabil strategi (ESS), långt från den högsta nettoproduktionen. När endast solvinkeln minskar med ökande latitud minskar både kronans bredd och topptyngd, men när både solvinkel och ljusrespons minskar med ökande latitud så är bredden nästan oförändrad utom vid låg produktivitet då den minskar med latituden. Kronans topptyngd minskar alltid med latituden. Slutligen ser vi hur kronans topptyngd alltid ökar med nettoproduktionen vid ESS, medan kronans bredd har ett maxium för ett mellanvärde hos nettoproduktionen vid ESS.

Comparés aux monocultures, les systèmes agroforestiers (SAF) sont censés permettre une meilleure efficience d'utilisation de la ressource et améliorer les services écosystémiques. Cependant, la complexité des interactions se produisant dans les SAF rend délicate la quantification et la décomposition des effets des arbres d'ombrage sur la productivité primaire nette (NPP) de la culture principale. Peu de modèles sont capables d'analyser les effets des interactions entre culture principale et arbres d'ombrage sur les échanges de CO2 et d'eau. En effet, les interactions pour la lumière, l'eau et la chaleur se produisant entre culture et arbres d'ombrage peuvent produire des effets contre-intuitifs sur la photosynthèse, l'efficience d'utilisation de la lumière (LUE), l'efficience de transpiration et le microclimat. Nous montrons que MAESPA, un modèle 3D mécaniste, peut-être utilisé pour étudier la variabilité de ces processus à des échelles allant de la plante à la parcelle, et de la demi-heure à l'année entière. MAESPA a simulé de manière satisfaisante l'interception de la lumière dans un SAF à base de caféier composé de 2 couches hétérogènes. Des variables modélisées par MAESPA ont été utilisées pour produire de puissantes variables explicatives dans un dispositif expérimental étudiant les déterminants de la NPP aérienne (ANPP) du caféier. Il a été démontré que LUE était deux fois plus élevée pour les caféiers poussant à l'ombre ce qui compensait totalement la diminution de leurs budgets lumineux, résultant en une absence de différence de ANPP entre caféiers de plein soleil et caféiers d'ombrage. MAESPA a aussi simulé de manière satisfaisante les échanges de CO2 à l'échelle du caféier et à l'échelle de la parcelle, lorsque comparés à des mesures d'échanges gazeux dans des chambres plantes entières ou à des enregistrements de flux turbulents au-dessus de la canopée, respectivement. Nous avons utilisé MAESPA pour simuler la variabilité spatiale de la photosynthèse et de LUE. MAESPA a démontré être un modèle robuste pour quantifier les interactions spatiales dans un SAF. Le prochain développement pertinent de cette approche serait de coupler MAESPA avec un modèle d'allocation du carbone dans les organes des plants de caféiers / Compared to monocultures, agroforestry systems (AFS) are expected to provide enhanced resource-use efficiency and larger ecosystem services. However, due to the complexity of the interactions occurring in AFS, it is challenging to quantify and decompose the effects of shade trees on the main crop net primary productivity (NPP). Few process-based models are able to analyze the interactions between crop and shade trees for carbon and water. Interactions for light, water and energy occurring between tree and crops might have counterintuitive effects on photosynthesis, light use efficiency (LUE), transpiration efficiency and microclimate. We showed that a 3D process-based model, MAESPA, was able to quantitatively describe the spatial variability of those processes from the plant to the plot, and from hourly to yearly timescales. MAESPA simulated satisfactorily light interception in a 2-layer heterogeneous coffee AFS. It was used to produce powerful explanatory variables in AFS experiments and to analyze the determinants of coffee plant NPP. LUE displayed a 2-fold increase for shaded coffee plants totally compensating the expected decrease of local irradiance interception, and coffee plant ANPP was the same below shade trees or in the open. MAESPA also simulated satisfactorily carbon exchange at whole plant and plot scales, when compared to gas exchange records in a whole-plant chamber, or with eddy-covariance records above the canopy. We used MAESPA to simulate the spatial variability of photosynthesis and LUE. Overall, MAESPA proved to be a relevant model to quantify spatial interactions. The next very relevant development would be to couple it to a model of carbon allocation among organs in the coffee plants

Investigations on the determination of 137Cs sources in the Ignalina NPP environment air and the evaluation of changes of the long-term trend of 137Cs activity concentrations in the Ignalina NPP ground-level air were carried out in this dissertation. Radionuclide activity concentrations in the air and deposition were measured in the Ignalina NPP impact zone in 2004-2009. Results show, that in recent years annual 137Cs activity concentrations in the ground-level air in the Ignalina NPP region change with the half-time of 30 years. Observed episodic increases in 137Cs activity concentrations in the air correlate well with air mass transport trajectories that intersect territories, polluted with 137Cs after the accident at the Chernobyl NPP. The growth of radioactive aerosol particles in the oversaturated water vapour of the operating RBMK reactor has been investigated. In the one contour nuclear power plant coolant water steam, noble gas radionuclides decay into alkaline and earth-alkali metals, which become condensation nuclei and due to the absorption of water molecules in several minutes grow into radioactive aerosol particles. The classical method of the radionuclide activity determination in aerosol particle samples, collected on filters, was supplemented with experiments on the leaching of aerosol particles using the distilled water and measurements of radionuclide activities in samples before and after the experiment. Results show that the quantity of 137Cs and 60Сo in... [to full text] / Disertacijoje nustatyti 137Cs patekimo į Ignalinos AE aplinkos orą šaltiniai ir įvertinti ilgamečiai 137Cs aktyvumo koncentracijų ore pokyčiai. Radionuklidų aktyvumo koncentracijos ore ir iškritose matuotos nuo 2004 iki 2009 metų Ignalinos AE poveikio zonoje. Gauta, kad metinės 137Cs aktyvumo koncentracijos pažemio ore pastaraisiais metais kinta su 30 metų mažėjimo pusiau trukme. Stebėta, kad šuoliški 137Cs aktyvumo koncentracijų pažemio ore padidėjimai koreliuoja su oro masių pernašos trajektorijomis, kertančiomis teritorijas, užterštas po avarijos Černobylio AE. Nustatytas radioaktyvių aerozolio dalelių augimas prisotintuose vandens garuose veikiančio RBMK reaktoriaus kondensatoriuje. Vieno kontūro atominės elektrinės aušinamame vandens gare inertinių dujų radionuklidai, skildami virsta šarminių ir žemės šarminių metalų elementais, tampa aerozolio gamybos centrais, absorbuoja vandens molekules ir per keliolika minučių ant jų, kaip kondensacijos branduolių, išauga radioaktyvios aerozolio dalelės. Klasikinis radionuklidų aktyvumo aerozolio dalelių, surinktų filtrais, bandiniuose nustatymas papildytas išplovimo distiliuotu vandeniu eksperimentais, matuojant radionuklidų aktyvumą bandiniuose iki ir po eksperimento. Gauta, kad 137Cs ir 60Сo dalis aerozolio dalelių, surinktų veikiančio reaktoriaus ventiliaciniame ore, tirpioje frakcijoje buvo 74 17 %, atitinkamai, o neveikiančio reaktoriaus ventiliaciniame ore 22 % ir 67  5 %. 60Co aktyvumo koncentracijos AE fakele... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Disertacijoje nustatyti 137Cs patekimo į Ignalinos AE aplinkos orą šaltiniai ir įvertinti ilgamečiai 137Cs aktyvumo koncentracijų ore pokyčiai. Radionuklidų aktyvumo koncentracijos ore ir iškritose matuotos nuo 2004 iki 2009 metų Ignalinos AE poveikio zonoje. Gauta, kad metinės 137Cs aktyvumo koncentracijos pažemio ore pastaraisiais metais kinta su 30 metų mažėjimo pusiau trukme. Stebėta, kad šuoliški 137Cs aktyvumo koncentracijų pažemio ore padidėjimai koreliuoja su oro masių pernašos trajektorijomis, kertančiomis teritorijas, užterštas po avarijos Černobylio AE. Nustatytas radioaktyvių aerozolio dalelių augimas prisotintuose vandens garuose veikiančio RBMK reaktoriaus kondensatoriuje. Vieno kontūro atominės elektrinės aušinamame vandens gare inertinių dujų radionuklidai, skildami virsta šarminių ir žemės šarminių metalų elementais, tampa aerozolio gamybos centrais, absorbuoja vandens molekules ir per keliolika minučių ant jų, kaip kondensacijos branduolių, išauga radioaktyvios aerozolio dalelės. Klasikinis radionuklidų aktyvumo aerozolio dalelių, surinktų filtrais, bandiniuose nustatymas papildytas išplovimo distiliuotu vandeniu eksperimentais, matuojant radionuklidų aktyvumą bandiniuose iki ir po eksperimento. Gauta, kad 137Cs ir 60Сo dalis aerozolio dalelių, surinktų veikiančio reaktoriaus ventiliaciniame ore, tirpioje frakcijoje buvo 74  22 % ir 67  17 %, atitinkamai, o neveikiančio reaktoriaus ventiliaciniame ore – 24  5 % ir 20  5 %. 60Co aktyvumo koncentracijos AE... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Investigations on the determination of 137Cs sources in the Ignalina NPP environment air and the evaluation of changes of the long-term trend of 137Cs activity concentrations in the Ignalina NPP ground-level air were carried out in this dissertation. Radionuclide activity concentrations in the air and deposition were measured in the Ignalina NPP impact zone in 2004-2009. Results show, that in recent years annual 137Cs activity concentrations in the ground-level air in the Ignalina NPP region change with the half-time of 30 years. Observed episodic increases in 137Cs activity concentrations in the air correlate well with air mass transport trajectories that intersect territories, polluted with 137Cs after the accident at the Chernobyl NPP. The growth of radioactive aerosol particles in the oversaturated water vapour of the operating RBMK reactor has been investigated. In the one contour nuclear power plant coolant water steam, noble gas radionuclides decay into alkaline and earth-alkali metals, which become condensation nuclei and due to the absorption of water molecules in several minutes grow into radioactive aerosol particles. The classical method of the radionuclide activity determination in aerosol particle samples, collected on filters, was supplemented with experiments on the leaching of aerosol particles using the distilled water and measurements of radionuclide activities in samples before and after the experiment. Results show that the quantity of 137Cs and 60Сo in... [to full text]