LMWOA (low molecular weight organic acid) exudation by salt marsh plants: Natural variation and response to Cu contamination

This work aimed to evaluate, in vitro, the capability of roots of two salt marsh plants to release low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) and to ascertain whether Cu contamination would stimulate or not organic acids exudation. The sea rush Juncus maritimus and the sea-club rush Scirpus maritimus, both from the lower Douro river estuary (NW Portugal), were used. Plants were collected seasonally, four times a year in 2004, during low tide. After sampling, plant roots were washed for removal of adherent particles and immersed for 2 h in a solution that matched salinity (3) and pH (7.5) of the pore water from the same location to obtain plant exudates. In one of the seasons, similar experiments were carried out but spiking the solution with different amounts of Cu in order to embrace the range between 0 and 1600 nM. In the final solutions as well as in sediment pore water LMWOAs were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Plants were able to release, in a short period of time, relatively high amounts of LMWOAs (oxalate, citrate, malate, malonate, and succinate). In the sediment pore water oxalate, succinate and acetate were also detected. Therefore, plant roots probably contributed to the presence of some of these organic compounds in pore water. Exudation differed between the plant species and also showed some seasonally variation, particularly for S. maritimus. The release of oxalate by J. maritimus increased with Cu increase in the media. However, exudation of the other LMWOAs did not seem to be stimulated by Cu contamination in the media. This fact is compatible with the existence of alternative internal mechanisms for Cu detoxification, as denoted by the fact that in media contaminated with Cu both plant species accumulated relatively high amounts (29–83%) of the initially dissolved Cu. This study expands our knowledge on the contribution of globally dominant salt marsh plants to the release of LMWOAs into the environment.     

Pfiesteria shumwayae (Pfiesteriaceae) in New Zealand

Pfiesteria shumwayae Steidinger et Burkholder is now known to be present in New Zealand and occurs in estuaries around the country. The presence of Pfiesteria was initially determined by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based detection assay, using oligonucleotide primers targeted at ribosomal DNA extracted from estuarine water and sediments. Presence was confirmed by isolation from fresh sediments in the presence offish (Oreochromis mossambicus), followed by identification by scanning electron microscopy. The New Zealand isolates of P. shumwayae were ichthyotoxic in bioassays, but there is no historic evidence offish kills in New Zealand associated with the dinoflagellate.     

C-type shocks in the interstellar medium: profiles of CH+ and CH absorption lines

We have computed optical absorption-line profiles of CH⁺ and CH, as predicted by a model of a C-type shock propagating in a diffuse interstellar cloud. Both these species are produced in the shock wave in the reaction sequence that is initiated by C⁺(H₂, H)CH⁺. Whilst CH⁺ flows at the ion speed, CH, which forms in the dissociative recombination reaction CH⁺₃(e⁻, H₂)CH, flows at a speed which is intermediate between those of the ions and the neutrals. The predicted velocity shift between the CH⁺ and CH line profiles is found to be no more than approximately 2 km s⁻¹, which is smaller than has previously been assumed. We also investigate OH and HCO⁺, finding that the correlation between their column densities, recently observed in the diffuse interstellar medium, can be reproduced by the model.     

大兴安岭中段木瑞组的发现及其地质意义

在内蒙古1：5万蘑菇山幅、柴河源幅、苏河屯幅、兴安幅四幅区域地质调查中,研究人员通过详细的野外地质调查,首次在中侏罗统满克头鄂博组下部发现木瑞组,二者为整合接触关系。该组岩石类型为紫红色泥质粉砂岩夹灰白色砾岩,出露不完整,从而证明大兴安岭中段在中侏罗世历经陆相山间盆地堆积,具快速堆积特点。该组可作为一个区域性的标志层,对研究大兴安岭中段在中侏罗世期间地质演化史具有重要意义。     

医用PET系统技术概述

PET(正电子发射成像)是当今高层次的核医学技术。它综合了核技术、核电子学、计算机、数据处理等领域中的尖端技术,是当前医学界最先进的大型医疗诊断成像设备之一,在肿瘤、心血管疾病和神经系统疾病的临床诊断中发挥着越来越重要的作用。本文以国产32环高档临床PET为例,较详细地介绍了PET设备的工作原理、总体基本结构及各子系统基本功能,对PET整机性能及其临床应用也做了简述。     

Stratigraphic Correlation of the Malusok Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposits, Southern Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract: Two adjacent volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits, the Main Malusok and the Malusok Southeast, are delineated within Barangay Tabayo, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines. These deposits comprise massive to semi-massive sulfide lenses representing the down-dip equivalent of oxidized gossans. The massive sulfides have a primary mineral assemblage of pyrite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite with significant amounts of supergene copper in the form of chal-cocite. Owing to structural and metamorphic overprinting combined with intense alteration, primary textures are generally obliterated. Rock types are classified according to dominant mineral assemblages whereas the main lithologic units comprising the Malusok volcanic package are divided based on the position of each unit relative to the mineralized zone. The main lithologic units are designated as the hanging wall, the host, and the footwall sequences. In correlating the stratigraphy of the Main Malusok zone with that of the Malusok Southeast zone, a chlorite/epidote-rich interval located at the base of the hanging wall sequence serves as a distinct stratigraphic marker from which all lithologies are referred to. Comparisons between the stratigraphy of the two areas show that massive to semi-massive sulfide lenses are confined within a single stratigraphic interval representing the favorable horizon for the entire Malusok area. However, differences exist relative to style of mineralization and configuration of the altered interval between the Main Malusok and the Malusok Southeast VMS deposits. Based on characteristics exhibited by each individual deposit, it is inferred that the Main Malusok VMS deposit overlies a feeder zone whereas the Malusok Southeast sulfide lenses represent satellite deposits and transported blocks.     

Investigating the molecular systematic relationships amongst selected Plesionika (Decapoda: Pandalidae) from the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea

Despite the high number of species and ecological diversity of pandalid shrimps, there has been no previous attempt to resolve evolutionary relationships of several genera using molecular tools. Although mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) is widely used in barcoding studies to delimit species boundaries, additional insights into phylogenetic affinities can be obtained, especially when used in combination with data from additional genes. The knowledge of molecular diversity is essential to understand phylogenetic relationships and will help systematic clarifications. Based on partial fragments of the 16S and COI genes, we have focused specifically on addressing the systematic relationships of the economically and ecologically important shrimp genus Plesionika within a framework of five genera from within the Pandalidae. Our results showed that species within Plesionika are substantially divergent when compared with other genera, exhibiting the highest average nucleotide divergence, with 0.1123 and 0.0846 in COI and 16S genes, respectively. In addition, sequence divergence was found to vary greatly within the genus Plesionika (COI/16S): 0.0247/0.0016 between Plesionika antigai and Plesionika heterocarpus and 0.1616/0.098 between Plesionika heterocarpus and Plesionika edwardsii. We did not find amino acid sequence divergence between P. heterocarpus and P. antigai compared with P. heterocarpus and P. edwardsii (8.10%, K2P distance). Three species of Plesionika (P. antigai, P. heterocarpus and Plesionika scopifera) appear well separated from other Plesionika species in both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. The present study confirms the utility of COI over 16S as a genetic marker to resolve relationships between different species of Plesionika from the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, in addition to species delimitation. The findings highlight the need to further review paraphyly within Plesionika in an attempt to recognize a concordance in the evolutionary history of Plesionika with major ecological and geological events.     

文昌鱼线粒体基因组特征分析及分子标记探讨

线粒体基因组已被广泛应用于后生动物分子系统发育和群体遗传的研究。文昌鱼（Amphioxus）作为研究脊椎动物起源和进化的模式动物,在脊椎动物起源和进化研究中占据极为重要的位置。作者综合分析文昌鱼2科7个种的51条线粒体基因组全序列,全面揭示了文昌鱼线粒体基因组的基本特征。文昌鱼线粒体基因组均编码后生动物标准的37个基因...     

利用父母本微卫星标记估计大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus L.)幼鱼生长性状的遗传参数

The estimation of genetic parameters has played an important role in animal selective breeding for growth traits.Recently studies show that molecular markers can be incorporated into genetic evaluations. In order to improve the performance of an incomplete pedigree(i.e, only parents are known) in the genetic evaluations, 12 microsatellite markers have been applied in the estimation of the genetic parameters for body weight in a farmed population(n=1 890) of juvenile turbot(Scophthalmus maximus L.). A new relatedness called parental molecular relatedness(PMR) is estimated based on results of genotyping of 48 parents(31 males, 17 females) with microsatellites markers. The feasibility of PMR in estimation of genetic parameters is verified by comparison with pedigree related(PR) which is obtained from a complete pedigree. The results demonstrate that a high correlation(0.872) between them is found. Heritabilities are estimated using the PMR(0.52±0.13) and PR(0.55±0.22) with the same animal model. A cross-validation shows that the predictive abilities of models using the PMR and the PR are identical(0.81). From that, a conclusion can be made that PMR and PR predicted genetic values equally well in a population of juvenile turbot. Therefore PMR can be applied as an alternative of the PR when only parents are known. However, for a better performance, more markers and more families should be included in a further study.     

裙带菜配子体基因工程选择标记的研究

研究了裙带菜(Undaria pinnatifida)配子体对除草剂草丁膦的敏感性以及温度对草丁膦处理效果的影响。结果表明,裙带菜配子体对草丁膦敏感;统计学分析得出了草丁膦在不同温度条件下处理裙带菜配子体的半致死浓度(LD50)及95%可信限;温差达到10℃时,相同处理时间各组内不同处理温度样品的LD50之间呈现显著差异,第6天的LD50由10℃组的15.78 mg/L降为20℃组的11.56 mg/L和25℃组的10.33 mg/L。研究发现可以尝试采用草丁膦作为裙带菜配子体遗传转化的选择试剂。