Who is the “murderer” of the bloom in coastal waters of Fujian,China, in 2019?

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - On May 24–29, 2019, a bloom occurring in Pingtan coastal areas of Fujian Province caused mass mortality of cage-cultured fish (Plectorhinchus cinctus and...     

Altitudinal trends in δ<Superscript>13</Superscript>C value,stomatal density and nitrogen content of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus tabuliformis</Emphasis> needles on the southern slope of the middle Qinling Mountains,China

In this study, a coniferous tree species (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) was investigated at a moderate-altitude mountainous terrain on the southern slope of the middle Qinling Mountains (QLM) to detect the trends in carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C), leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and stomatal density (SD) with altitude variation in north-subtropical humid mountain climate zone of China. The results showed that LNC and SD both significantly increased linearly along the altitudinal gradient ranging from 1000 to 2200 m, whereas leaf δ¹³C exhibited a significantly negative correlation with the altitude. Such a correlation pattern differs obviously from that obtained in offshore low-altitude humid environment or inland high-altitude semi-arid environment, suggesting that the pattern of increasing δ¹³C with the altitude cannot be generalized. The negative correlation between δ¹³C and altitude might be attributed mainly to the strengthening of carbon isotope fractionation in plants caused by increasing precipitation with altitude. Furthermore, there was a remarkable negative correlation between leaf δ¹³C and LNC. One possible reason was that increasing precipitation that operates to increase isotopic discrimination with altitude overtook the LNC in determining the sign of leaf δ¹³C. The significant negative correlation between leaf δ¹³C and SD over altitudes was also found in the present study, indicating that increases in SD with altitude would reduce, rather than enhance plant δ¹³C values.     

Effects of dietary β-glucan and glycyrrhizin on non-specific immunity and disease resistance of the sea cucumber (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apostichopus japonicus</Emphasis> Selenka) challenged with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio splendidus</Emphasis>

Sea cucumbers, Apostichopus japonicus Selenka, were fed diets containing non-immunostimulant (basal diet), 0.2% β-glucan and 0.02% glycyrrhizin in a recirculatory water system for 45 days, and subsequently challenged with Vibrio splendidus by injection at 1.0×10⁸ cfu / sea cucumber for 15 days. Phagocytic capacity (PC), intracellular superoxide anion production (ISAP), lysozyme (LSZ) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the coelomic fluid were analyzed on the 0^th, 5^th, 10^th and 15^th days after injection. Results showed that after the 45-day feeding period, PC, ISAP, LSZ activity and SOD activity in sea cucumbers fed with dietary β-glucan or glycyrrhizin were significantly higher than in those fed with the basal diet. On the 5th day after infection, all the immune parameters examined in the sea cucumbers injected with V. splendidus decreased in value significantly. On the 15^th day, PC, ISAP and LSZ activity returned to levels similar to those on the 0^th day. For the sea cucumbers injected with saline, there were no significant differences in all the immune parameters examined and in the cumulative morbidity during the 15-day challenging trial. After injecting with V. splendidus, the cumulative morbidity of sea cucumbers fed with the basal diet was significantly higher than those fed with dietary β-glucan or glycyrrhizin when challenged with V. splendidus challenged sea cucumber fed with the basal diet was significantly higher than those fed with dietary β-glucan or glycyrrhizin. There was no significant difference in cumulative morbidity between the dietary β-glucan and glycyrrhizin treatments over time.     

Designation of a new genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bathymenes</Emphasis> for the deep-sea pontoniine shrimps of the ‘<Emphasis Type="Italic">Periclimenes alcocki</Emphasis> species group’ (Decapoda,Caridea, Palaemonidae), with a checklist of the species assigned to the genus

A new genus of the deep-sea pontoniine shrimps, Bathymenes gen. nov., is established for the ‘Periclimenes alcocki species group’ of the genus Periclimenes Costa, 1844. The new genus is distinguished from other genera of the Pontoniinae by a combination of characters: the posteriormost dorsal rostral tooth remote from other teeth, situated in the epigastric position, cornea usually reduced, the propodus of second pereiopods covered with fine granules, the dactylus of the major second chela being generally flanged, the ambulatory pereiopods with the dactyli being biunguiculate and telson with more than two pairs of dorsolateral spines. The genus is mainly distributed in the tropical to warm-temperate Indo-West Pacific waters at depths greater than 200 m. Fifteen species previously recognized as belonging to the ‘P. a lcocki species group’ are now placed in Bathymenes gen. nov. A key for their identification and a checklist of congeneric species are provided.     

Peat humification- and δ<Superscript>13</Superscript>C<Subscript>cellulose</Subscript>-recorded warm-season moisture variations during the past 500 years in the southern Altai Mountains within northern Xinjiang of China

To predict future spatio-temporal patterns of climate change, we should fully understand the spatio-temporal patterns of climate change during the past millennium. But, we are not yet able to delineate the patterns because the qualities of the retrieved proxy records and the spatial coverage of those records are not adequate. Northern Xinjiang of China is one of such areas where the records are not adequate. Here, we present a 500-yr land-surface moisture sequence from Heiyangpo Peat (48.34°N, 87.18°E, 1353 m a.s.l) in the southern Altai Mountains within northern Xinjiang. Specifically, peat carbon isotope value of cellulose (δ¹³C_cellulose) was used to estimate the warm-season moisture variations and the degree of humification was used to constrain the δ¹³C_cellulose-based hydrological interpretation. The climatic attributions of the interpreted hydrological variations were based on the warm-season temperature reconstructed from Belukha ice core and the warm-season precipitation inferred from the reconstructed Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillations (AMO). The results show that humification decreased and the δ¹³C_cellulose-suggested moisture decreased from ~1510 to ~1775 AD, implying that a constant drying condition may have inhibited peat decay. Our comparison with reconstructed climatic parameters suggests that the moisture-level decline was most likely resulted from a constant decline of precipitation. The results also show that humification kept a stable level and the δ¹³C_cellulose-suggested moisture also decreased from ~1775 to ~2013 AD, implying that peat decay in the acrotelm primarily did not depend on the water availability or an aerobic environment. Again, our comparison with reconstructed climatic parameters suggests that the land-surface moisturelevel decline was most likely resulted from a steady warming of growing-season temperature.     

矿物&#183;宝玉石&#183;欣赏

自然界矿物、岩石有3000多种，矿物名称很多．也很复杂。许多来地质博物馆参观的观众常会问及矿物名称的问题。其实矿物名称还是有章可循的，只要我们知道矿物的命名方法及一些矿物名称的来源，就对矿物的名称不难掌握了。     

Spatial distribution and dynamics of carbon storage in natural <Emphasis Type="Italic">Larix gmelinii</Emphasis> forest in Daxing’anling mountains of Inner Mongolia,northeastern China

In order to clarify the geographic distribution and change of natural Larix gmelinii forest in carbon storage in Daxing’anling mountains (Great Khingan Range) in North China’s Inner Mongolia, an area-irrelevant conversion equation of biomass from timber volume in the form of B = 0.6966 V was developed by using survey data. Based on the equation, the carbon storage was estimated at 190.172 Tg, and the average carbon density was 41.659 Mg/hm² (area 4.565 × 10⁶ hm²). Carbon stored in standing trees was predominantly distributed in mid-age and mature forests and mainly stocked in the northern part of the study area. Assuming the carbon density of intact area as the maximum value, the potential carbon storage in the entire study area would be 263.674 Tg, approximately 1.4 times of the actual level. Over the period of 1995 to 2010, the carbon storage and carbon density increased by 3.260 Tg and 0.224 Mg/hm², respectively, indicating a weak carbon sink. Comparing with China’s national average level, the carbon density in this area is not as high as expected. Forest quality in terms of carbon capacity is expected to be enhanced by appropriate management schemes under the in-implementation program of forest protection.     

文风&#183;政风&#183;党风

毛泽东同志曾经说过：＂学风和文风都是党的作用,都是党风。＂党风、政风决定着文风,反过来,文风又体现出党风、政风,并会深刻地影响着党风、政风。战争年代,著名的延安整风运动的一个重要内容,就是整顿文风。毛泽东同志对党八股深恶痛绝,号召全党摒弃党八股,倡导生动活泼、新鲜有力的新文风。他批评那种曾一度盛行于党内的不良文风,像老太太的裹脚布,又臭又长。反观毛泽东同志的著作和讲话,言简意赅,紧扣主题,深入浅出,不愧为开时代新文风的典范。     

Influence of white spot syndrome virus infection on hepatopancreas gene expression of ‘Huanghai No. 2’ shrimp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fenneropenaeus chinensis</Emphasis>)

To elucidate the molecular response of shrimp hepatopancreas to white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection, microarray was applied to investigate the differentially expressed genes in the hepatopancreas of ‘Huanghai No. 2’ (Fenneropenaeus chinensis). A total of 59137 unigenes were designed onto a custom-made 60K Agilent chip. After infection, the gene expression profiles in the hepatopancreas of the shrimp with a lower viral load at early (48–96 h), peak (168–192 h) and late (264–288 h) infection phases were analyzed. Of 18704 differentially expressed genes, 6412 were annotated. In total, 5453 differentially expressed genes (1916 annotated) expressed at all three phases, and most of the annotated were either up- or down-regulated continuously. These genes function diversely in, for example, immune response, cytoskeletal system, signal transduction, stress resistance, protein synthesis and processing, metabolism among others. Some of the immune-related genes, including antilipopolysaccharide factor, Kazal-type proteinase inhibitor, C-type lectin and serine protease encoding genes, were up-regulated after WSSV infection. These genes have been reported to be involved in the anti-WSSV responses. The expression of genes related to the cytoskeletal system, including β-actin and myosin but without tubulin genes, were down-regulated after WSSV infection. Astakine was found for the first time in the WSSV-infected F. chinensis. To further confirm the expression of differentially expressed genes, quantitative real-time PCR was performed to test the expression of eight randomly selected genes and verified the reliability and accuracy of the microarray expression analysis. The data will provide valuable information to understanding the immune mechanism of shrimp’s response to WSSV.     

Isolation and characterization of bioactive fungi from shark <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carcharodon carcharias</Emphasis>’ gill with biopharmaceutical prospects

Until recently, little was known about the fungi found in shark gills and their biomedicinal potential. In this article, we described the isolation, bioactivity, diversity, and secondary metabolites of bioactive fungi from the gill of a shark (Carcharodon carcharias). A total of 115 isolates were obtained and grown in 12 culture media. Fifty-eight of these isolates demonstrated significant activity in four antimicrobial, pesticidal, and cytotoxic bioassay models. Four randomly selected bioactive isolates inhibited human cancer cell proliferation during re-screening. These active isolates were segregated into 6 genera using the internal transcribed spacer-large subunit (ITS-LSU) rDNA-sequence BLAST comparison. Four genera, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor, and Chaetomium were the dominant taxa. A phylogenic tree illustrated their intergenera and intragenera genetic diversity. HPLC-DAD-HRMS analysis and subsequent database searching revealed that nine representative strains produced diverse bioactive compound profiles. These results detail the broad range of bioactive fungi found in a shark’s gills, revealing their biopharmaceutical potential. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing shark gill fungi and their bioactivity.     

Variation in the emission rate of sounds in a captive group of false killer whales <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudorca crassidens</Emphasis> during feedings: possible food anticipatory vocal activity?

This study examines whether a group of captive false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens ) showed variations in the vocal rate around feeding times. The high level of motivation to express appetitive behaviors in captive animals may lead them to respond with changes of the behavioral activities during the time prior to food deliveries which are referred to as food anticipatory activity. False killer whales at Qingdao Polar Ocean World (Qingdao, China) showed significant variations of the rates of both the total sounds and sound classes (whistles, clicks, and burst pulses) around feedings. Precisely, from the Transition interval that recorded the lowest vocalization rate (3.40 s/m/d), the whales increased their acoustic emissions upon trainers’ arrival (13.08 s/m/d). The high rate was maintained or intensified throughout the food delivery (25.12 s/m/d), and then reduced immediately after the animals were fed (9.91 s/m/d). These changes in the false killer whales sound production rates around feeding times supports the hypothesis of the presence of a food anticipatory vocal activity. Although sound rates may not give detailed information regarding referential aspects of the animal communication it might still shed light about the arousal levels of the individuals during different social or environmental conditions. Further experiments should be performed to assess if variations of the time of feeding routines may affect the vocal activity of cetaceans in captivity as well as their welfare.     

“新北京·新奥运地图集”即将问世

为喜迎奥运,北京市城市规划与勘测研究院设计编印的“新北京.新奥运地图集”即将问世。这是一部创意新颖、印制精湛、图文并茂、中英对照、雅俗共赏、信息丰富、内容详实、科学性与艺术性都很高的成功新作。该图集已完成打样,2008年6月即将付印出版。图集的城区分幅图的总体设计非常成功。     

初论“数字国土”

论文讨论了数字国土的主要内容、技术路线、基础研究和基础工作 ,提出国土动态监测系统和国土资源管理信息系统的总体方案。