Bone marrow endothelial cells (ECs) are essential for reconstitution of hematopoiesis, but their role in self-renewal of long term-hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) is unknown. We have developed angiogenic models to demonstrate that EC-derived angiocrine growth factors support in vitro self-renewal and in vivo repopulation of authentic LT-HSCs. In serum/cytokine-free co-cultures, ECs through direct cellular contact, stimulated incremental expansion of repopulating CD34−Flt3−cKit+Lineage−Sca1+ LT-HSCs, which retained their self-renewal ability, as determined by single cell and serial transplantation assays. Angiocrine expression of Notch-ligands by ECs promoted proliferation and prevented exhaustion of LT-HSCs derived from wild-type, but not Notch1/Notch2 deficient mice. In transgenic notch-reporter (TNR.Gfp) mice, regenerating TNR.Gfp+ LT-HSCs were detected in cellular contact with sinusoidal ECs and interfering with angiocrine, but not perfusion function, of SECs impaired repopulation of TNR.Gfp+ LT-HSCs. ECs establish an instructive vascular niche for clinical scale expansion of LT-HSCs and a cellular platform to identify stem cell-active trophogens.

Disc permeameters are designed to measure hydraulic properties of field soils containing macropores and preferential flow paths and are particularly useful in soil management studies. We present here designs for disc permeameters for both positive and negative water supply heads. The effects of the water supply membrane and soil contact material on permeameter performance are examined using approximate quasi‐analytic solutions to the flow equation. This analysis provides approximate criteria for the selection of membrane and soil contact materials. Limitations to performance caused by restricted air entry are considered and design criteria are given also. We present in situ tests of the disc permeameter for the early stages of one‐dimensional infiltration and an example of the deterministic variation of sorptivity of a field soil with supply potential. Finally, we use ponded and unsaturated sorptivities measured in situ with disc permeameters to find the saturated hydraulic conductivity and flow‐weighted mean characteristic pore dimension of a field soil.

Estimates of characteristic times to approach steady state flow in multidimensional infiltration in the landscape depend on the magnitude and character of the capillary length scale λc and the associated capillary time scale tc. Here we derive relationships between λc and tc and readily measured field properties sorptivity S and hydraulic conductivity K or S at two supply heads. We explore the relations between λc and tc and other macroscopic and microscopic length, potential, and time scales. In addition, we show that the microscopic characteristic length λm associated with λc gives physically plausible estimates of flow‐weighted mean pore dimensions. We contrast values of λc, tc, and λm for undisturbed field soils with those of repacked materials for water supply potentials close to zero. Large λm for the undisturbed surface soils are attributed to preferential flow. Data from here and elsewhere reveal no apparent trend of λc with soil texture, with most λc of the order of 100 mm. We suggest that the characteristic size of devices used to determine hydraulic properties of field soils should be greater than or equal to λc for representative measurements. The geometric mean time of approach to steady state flow when water is supplied at potentials near or greater than zero is found to be 1.7 hours. This value together with published results suggest that the time of approach to steady state flow from multidimensional cavities is of the order of 1 hour for many field situations.

Volumetric water content 0 and soil electrical conductivity rr may be measured in situ using time domain reflectometry (TDR). The parallel-wire or two-wire transmission line TDR probes currently in field use suffer from unwanted noise and information loss due to impedance mismatch between the probe and the coaxial connecting cable. Here we describe symmetric, multiwire probes designed to minimize these problems and eliminate the need for a balancing transformer between probe and TDR device. Analysis of the electric field distributions around these new probes shows that they emulate a coaxial transmission line, and their measured characteristic probe impedances approach that of coaxial probes. Signals from the new probes permit more reliable and accurate 0 and rr measurement and are superior to those of two-wire probes with balancing transformer. The enhanced signal clarity of the new probes extends to sample diameters of at least 0.2 m. We show that electrical conductivity determined with the new probes is identical to that found with a coaxial cell and substantially different from that measured by a two-wire probe. Our results indicate that values of rr, determined using the Giese-Tiemann thin sample approach and measured characteristic probe impedances of coaxial or multiwire probes, agree with values of rr measured using an ac bridge for both electrolyte solutions and soil samples to within _+ 10%, provided rr exceeds 10 mS m -1 . Finally, we give an example of the use of multiplexed three-wire probes in following rainfall infiltration and redistribution during and after a simulated rainfall event in the field. Infiltrated quantities of water estimated from the TDR water content profiles agreed within _+ 10% with the amount applied. 1. Comparison of TDR signals L=150 , d =4.7, s=30 (mm) -,-J J•-2.7ns ß ß ß ß ß Balum S E S E ß ß ß ß S E S E