Chitosan removes toxic heavy metal ions from cigarette mainstream smoke

This study investigated the removal of heavy metal ions from cigarette mainstream smoke using chitosan. Chitosan of various deacetylation degrees and molecular weights were manually added to cigarette filters in different dosages. The mainstream smoke particulate matter was collected by a Cambridge filter pad, digested by a microwave digestor, and then analyzed for contents of heavy metal ions, including As(III/V), Pb(II), Cd(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II), by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The results showed that chitosan had a removal effect on Pb(II), Cd(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II). Of these, the percent removal of Ni(II) was elevated with an increasing dosage of chitosan. Chitosan of a high deace tylation degree exhibited good binding performance toward Cd(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II), though with poor efficiency for Pb(II). Except As(III/V), all the tested metal ions showed similar tendencies in the growing contents with an increasing chitosan molecular weight. Nonetheless, the percent removal of Cr(III/VI) peaked with a chitosan molecular weight of 200 kDa, followed by a dramatic decrease with an increasing chitosan molecular weight. Generally, chitosan had different removal effects on four out of five tested metal ions, and the percent removal of Cd(II), Pb(II), Cr(III/VI) and Ni(II) was approximately 55%, 45%, 50%, and 16%, respectively. In a word, chitosan used in cigarette filter can remove toxic heavy metal ions in the mainstream smoke, improve cigarette safety, and reduce the harm to smokers.     

关于超越亚纯函数f(z)的微分多项式φ(z)f~2(z)f’(z)—1的零点

本文证明,其中,f(z)为超越亚纯函数,ψ(z)为非零亚纯函数,使得T(r,ψ)=S(r,f),其中,S(r,f)表示O{T(r,f)}(r→+∞),至多除去一个线性测度有限的r集。     

Labile and stabile soil organic carbon fractions in surface horizons of mountain soils–relationships with vegetation and altitude

Global and local climate changes could disturb carbon sequestration and carbon stocks in forest soils. Thus, it is important to characterize the stability of soil organic matter and the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions in forest ecosystems. This study had two aims: (1) to evaluate the effects of altitude and vegetation on the content of labile and stabile forms of organic carbon in the mountain soils; and (2) to assess the impact of the properties of soil organic matter on the SOC pools under changing environmental conditions. The studies were conducted in the Karkonosze Mountains (SW Poland, Central Europe). The content of the most labile fraction of carbon (dissolved organic carbon, DOC) decreases with altitude, but the content of fulvic acids (FA), clearly increases in the zone above 1000 m asl, while the stabile fraction (humins, non-hydrolyzing carbon) significantly decreases. A higher contribution of stabile forms was found in soils under coniferous forests (Norway spruce), while a smaller - under deciduous forests (European beech) and on grasslands. The expected climate change and the ongoing land use transformations in the zone above 1000 m asl may lead to a substantial increase in the stable humus fraction (mainly of a non-hydrolyzing carbon) and an increase in the SOC pools, even if humus acids are characterized by a lower maturity and greater mobility favorable to soil podzolization. In the lower zone (below 1000 m asl), a decrease in the most stable humus forms can be expected, accompanied by an increase of DOC contribution, which will result in a reduction in SOC pools. Overall, the expected prevailing (spatial) effect is a decreasing contribution of the most stable humus fractions, which will be associated with a reduction in the SOC pools in medium-high mountains of temperate zone of Central Europe.     

Submarine landslide identified in DLW3102 core of the northern continental slope,South China Sea

In this paper, we take DLW3101 core obtained at the top of the canyon(no landslide area) and DLW3102 core obtained at the bottom of the canyon(landslide area) on the northern continental slope of the South China Sea as research objects. The chronostratigraphic framework of the DLW3101 core and elemental strata of the DLW3101 core and the DLW3102 core since MIS5 are established by analyzing oxygen isotope, calcium carbonate content, and X-Ray Fluorescence(XRF) scanning elements. On the basis of the information obtained by analyzing the sedimentary structure and chemical elements in the landslide deposition, we found that the DLW3102 core shows four layers of submarine landslides, and each landslide layer is characterized by high Si, K, Ti, and Fe contents, thereby indicating terrigenous clastic sources. L1(2.15–2.44 m) occurred in MIS2, which is a slump sedimentary layer with a small sliding distance and scale. L2(15.48–16.00 m) occurred in MIS5 and is a debris flow-deposited layer with a scale and sliding distance that are greater than those of L1. L3(19.00–20.90 m) occurred in MIS5; its upper part(19.00–20.00 m) is a debris flow-deposited layer, and its lower part(20.00–20.90 m) is a sliding deposition layer. The landslide scale of L3 is large. L4(22.93–24.27 m) occurred in MIS5; its upper part(22.93–23.50 m) is a turbid sedimentary layer, and its lower part(23.50–24.27m) is a slump sedimentary layer. The landslide scale of L4 is large.     

Environmental anomalies in the northeastern East China Sea during the last 3 000 years: implications for El Niño activity in the Holocene

To reconstruct the productivity changes for the last 10 500 a in the northeastern East China Sea (ECS), biogenic compounds (such as carbonate, organic carbon and opal), marine micropaleontological fossils (planktonic foraminifera, benthic foraminifera, radiolarian and silicoflagellate) and the compositional characters of benthic foraminifera fauna analyses were carried out on a sediment core DOC082 obtained from the western slope of Okinawa Trough (29°13.93′N, 128°08.53′E; 1 128 m water depth). The long-term changes of biogenic and micropaleontological proxies display some similarities through the last 10 500 a, which show three different phases: lower values are recorded during the early and middle Holocene (before about 4 000 a BP), followed by an abrupt and remarkable increase at about 4 000 a BP, the late Holocene (after about 3 000 a BP) is characterized by continuously high values. The multi-proxy data of paleoproductivity and percents of benthic foraminifera genera (Uvigerina and Bulimina) show that during the early and middle Holocene (10 500–4 000 a BP) productivity was relatively low with a sudden and distinct increase at about 4 000 a BP, and the late Holocene (3 400–0 a BP) is marked by significantly higher productivity. Also, the radiolarian-based sea surface temperature (SST) records reveal a distinct decline in SST in the late Holocene after 3 200 a BP, very different from the early and middle Holocene. For the last 3 000 a, the enhanced biological productivity and distinctly lower SST indicate a major change of oceanographic conditions in the northeastern ECS. These marine environmental anomalies are consistent with other paleoclimatic records for the late Holocene in the Chinese continent and its surrounding regions. After analyzing the mechanisms of modern productivity and SST changes in the northeastern ECS, and based on the climatic anomalies in the Chinese continent and variations in the Kuroshio Current during modern El Niño periods, we suggest that the anomalous environmental conditions in the northeastern ECS may imply intensified El Niño activity during the late Holocene.     

Improvement of Urban Impervious Surface Estimation in Shanghai Using Landsat7 ETM＋ Data

This paper explores the potential to improve the impervious surface estimation accuracy using a multi-stage approach on the basis of vegetation-impervious surface-soil (V-I-S) model. In the first stage of Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA) process, pixel purity index, a quantitative index for defining endmember quality, and a 3-dimensional endmember selection method were applied to refining endmembers. In the second stage, instead of obtaining impervious surface fraction by adding high and low albedo fractions directly, a linear regression model was built between impervious surface and high/low albedo using a random sampling method. The urban impervious surface distribution in the urban central area of Shanghai was predicted by the linear regression model. Estimation accuracy of spectral mixture analysis and impervious surface fraction were assessed using root mean square (RMS) and color aerial photography respectively. In comparison with three different research methods, this improved estimation method has a higher overall accuracy than traditional Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis (LSMA) method and the normalized SMA model both in root mean square error (RMSE) and standard error (SE). However, the model has a tendency to overestimate the impervious surface distribution. Foundation item: Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40701177)     

Petrography and mineralogy of new lunar meteorite MIL090036

MIL090036 is a previously unknown meteorite （a feldspathic lunar breccia） that was discovered in Antarctica. The detailed petrography and mineralogy of this meteorite forms the subject of this paper. It has a typical clastic texture that consists of various types of rock debris （e.g. anorthosite, gabbroic anorthosite, gabbro, regolith breccia, troctolite, microporphyritic crystalline impact melt and compound clasts）, mineral crystal fragments （e.g. pyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine and ilmenite） and feldspathic glass clasts. The ifne-grained recrystallized minerals and mineral clasts are cemented together in a glassy groundmass. The anorthite content of plagioclase in the gabbro （An81-83） and anorthosite （An88-93） both have relatively low calcium content compared to those from other breccias （An90-98）. The pyroxene composition （Fs12-35 Wo3-44 En22-79） in the rock debris, crystal mineral clasts and anorthositic glass clasts are relatively iron-deifcient compared to those from gabbro debris with melt glass （Fs37-65 Wo10-29 En21-49） and groundmass （Fs18-69 Wo3-45 En14-50）. In contrast, the pyroxene grains in the gabbroic anorthosite display a narrow compositional range （Fs24-27 Wo7-14 En59-69）. Olivine grains in mineral fragments and the groundmass have a wider compositional range （Fo57-79） than those in the rock debris （Fo67-77）. The Fe/Mn ratio in olivine is in the range of 47 to 83 （average 76） and 76 to 112 （average 73） in pyroxenes, and hence classify within the lunar ifeld. The characteristics of texture, mineral assemblage and compositions suggest that MIL090036 possibly originated from a region beyond that of the Apollo and Luna samples. Further study of MIL090036 is therefore likely to lead to a better understanding of the geological processes on the Moon and the chemical composition of the lunar crust.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis of defatted mackerel protein with low bitter taste

Ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction was confirmed as a novel,effective method for separating lipid from mackerel pro-tein,resulting in a degreasing rate (DR) of 95% and a nitrogen recovery (NR) of 88.6%.To obtain protein hydrolysates with high ni-trogen recovery and low bitter taste,enzymatic hydrolysis was performed using eight commercially available proteases.It turned out that the optimum enzyme was the ‘Mixed enzymes for animal proteolysis’.An enzyme dosage of 4%,a temperature of 50℃,and a hydrolysis time of 300 min were found to be the optimum conditions to obtain high NR (84.28%) and degree of hydrolysis (DH,16.18%) by orthogonal experiments.Glutamic acid was the most abundant amino acid of MDP (defatted mackerel protein) and MDPH (defatted mackerel protein hydrolysates).Compared with the FAO/WHO reference protein,the essential amino acid chemical scores (CS) were greater than 1.0 (1.0 1.7) in MDPH,which is reflective of high nutritional value.This,coupled with the light color and slight fishy odor,indicates that MDPH would potentially have a wide range of applications such as nutritional additives,functional ingredients,and so on.     

Development of a Fast ELISA for the Specific Detection of both Leucomalachite Green and Malachite Green

Malachite green(MG), a dye, is an antifungal agent that has been used to treat and prevent fish diseases. It is metabolized into reduced leucomalachite green forms(LMG) that may reside in fish muscles for a long period, thus being harmful to human health. The aim of this study was to develop a competitive and direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) to detect MG and LMG specifically. The monoclonal antibody(m Ab) to LMG was generated using a hybridoma technique. The obtained m Ab showed good cross-reactivity(CR) to malachite green(MG), but not to crystal violet(CV) and Brilliant Green(BG). The m Ab was used to develop a fast detecting ELISA of MG and LMG in fish. By introducing the conjugation LMG-HRP, the detection capability was 0.37 ng m L-1 for MG and LMG. The mean recovery from spiked grass carp tissues ranged from 76.2% to 82.9% and the coefficients of variation varied between 1.8% and 7.5%. The stable and efficient monoclonal cell line obtained is a sustainable source of sensitive and specific antibody to MG and LMG.     

A NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE WINTERTIME CIRCULATION IN THE BOHAI AND HUANGHAI SEAS

The paper presents a numerical two-dimensional model (with a realistic sea basin and wind fields as exter nal forcing) to simulate the basic features of the wintertime circulation in the Bohai and Huanghai (Yellow) Seas (BHS) and to show how the circulation can be driven by wind. The main results can be summarized as follows (1) The basic features of the BHS wintertime circulation can be depicted by the wind-driven barotropi'c motion. (2) The traditionally named Huanghai Sea Warm Current (HSWC) is actually generated by the north wind field, at least in winter. (3) The southward coastal current off the Korean west coast plays a more significant role in the southern Huanghai Sea wintertime circulation than traditionally believed. (4) Though the coastal landform and bottom topography play important roles in the wintertime BHS circulation pattern, the wind is a primary forcing.     

Concentration and Characterization of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter in the Surface Microlayer and Subsurface Water of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea

The distribution and chemical properties of colored dissolved organic matter(CDOM) in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea during December 2011-January 2012 were investigated. The input of freshwater and biological activities had an evident influence on the CDOM levels(characterized by the light absorption coefficient at the wavelength of 355 nm a₃₅₅) in the study area. The spatial distribution of CDOM levels displayed a gradually decreasing trend from the coastal waters(0.37 m^-1) to the open sea(0.18 m^-1). The spectral slope ratio(the slope ratio S_R defined as S_275-295:S_350-400) during the cruise was correlated with salinity, and exhibited a large variation from inshore(average of 2.515) to offshore sites(average of 5.327) compared with the distribution of a₃₅₅. The values of S_R were related to CDOM molecular weight(MW). The a₃₅₅, S_R, and chlorophyll a in 37 samples collected from the surface microlayer were significantly correlated with those in the corresponding subsurface water samples, implying a strong exchange action between the microlayer and bulk water. The a₃₅₅ and S_R of CDOM exhibited significant microlayer enrichment, with mean enrichment factors(EFs) of 1.72 and 1.62, respectively.     

Chemical compositions and cassfication of Grove Mountains （GRV） 98003 and other Chinese iron meteorites

Concentrations of Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Ga, Ge, As, Sb, W, Re, Ir, Pt and Au of two ungrouped iron meteorites, Grove Mountains （GRV） 98003 from Antarctica and Ujimqin, were measured using instrumental neutron activation analysis. According to the bulk chemistry, GRV 98003 is classified as a member of ⅠAB group, and Ujimqin as a unique one of ⅠAB iron meteorite complex. The elemental abundance pattern and correlation between elements （e. g. Ni-Au, Co-Au, As-Au, W- Au, Cu-Au, Sb-Au） of GRV 98003 are similar with those of NAW 468 （ⅠAB）, but significantly depleted in refractory siderophile elements （ Re, It） and moderate volatile elements （Ca, Ge） relative to the latter. In addition, we reclassify Nantan （ⅢCD） as a member of ⅠAB main group （MG） and Yongning （ⅠA） as a unique iron meteorite related with IAB iron meteorite complex.     

Comparison of time-restricted and ad libitum self-feeding on the growth,feeding behavior and daily digestive enzyme profiles of Atlantic salmon

Although it has been hypothesized that a predictable feeding regime in animals allows physiological variables to be adjusted to maximize nutrient utilization and,hence,better growth performance,the assumption has rarely been tested.This study compares the effects of time-restricted versus free access self-feeding on the growth,feeding behavior and daily digestive enzyme rhythms of Atlantic salmon(Salmo salar).In an experiment that lasted 6 weeks,fish(109.9 g) were divided into two groups:group 1 had free access to a self-feeder(FA);group 2 received three meals per day(2 h per meal) at dawn,midday and dusk via a time-restricted self-feeder(TR).At the end of the experiment,the fish were sampled every 3 h over a24-h period.The results showed that the TR fish quickly synchronized their feeding behavior to the feeding window and their blood glucose showed a significant postprandial increase,while FA fish displayed no statistically significant rhythms(P0.05).Pepsin activity of TR fish also showed a significant daily rhythm(P0.05) with the acrophase at the second feed and a decrease over the next 12 h.Average daily trypsin,lipase and amylase levels of FA fish were significantly lower than those of TR fish(P0.01);however,the growth performance of both groups was similar(P0.05).In conclusion,the study failed to confirm a link between the entrainment of daily digestive enzyme profiles and growth performance,with the TR group showing comparatively poor blood glucose regulation.     

Diurnal expression of circadian clock genes period 1 and period 3 in Pelteobagrus vachellii

Circadian clock genes are crucial for generating and sustaining most rhythmic daily functions in the animal kingdom,which entrain the rhythms of biochemical,physiological,and behavioural processes.To better understand the molecular oscillations of the circadian rhythms in darkbarbel catfish(Pelteobagrus vachellii),we isolated and characterized two circadian clock genes in P.vachellii,period 1(perl),and period3(per3).The circadian clock gene perl was found to encode a 1 428-amino acid polypeptide,including PER-ARNT-SIM(PAS) dimerisation domains,a PAS-associated C-terminal motif(PAC),a short mutable domain(S/M),and a nuclear export signal(NES).The 4 902-bp per3 cDNA includes an open reading frame encoding a 1 292-amino acid residue polypeptide with a PER-ARNT-SIM(PAS) domain,cytoplasmic localisation domain(CLD),interaction site(TIS),and a nuclear localisation signal(NLS).The perl and per3 gene was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues.Moreover,perl expression within a light/dark cycles showed rhythmic expression in the diencephalon,brain,liver and intestine,with,the acrophase at 15:15,12:52,7:51,and 12:55,respectively.Daily expression of per3 was rhythmic in the diencephalon,brain,liver and intestine,with the acrophase at 8:15,9:54,10:39,and 10:25 h,respectively.These findings expand our understanding of circadian mechanism at the molecular level in this species.     

Drought Forecasting in a Semi-arid Watershed Using Climate Signals:a Neuro-fuzzy Modeling Approach

Large-scale annual climate indices were used to forecast annual drought conditions in the Maharlu-Bakhtegan watershed,located in Iran,using a neuro-fuzzy model.The Standardized Precipitation Index（SPI） was used as a proxy for drought conditions.Among the 45 climate indices considered,eight identified as most relevant were the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation（AMO）,Atlantic Meridional Mode（AMM）,the Bivariate ENSO Time series（BEST）,the East Central Tropical Pacific Surface Temperature（NINO 3.4）,the Central Tropical Pacific Surface Temperature（NINO 4）,the North Tropical Atlantic Index（NTA）,the Southern Oscillation Index（SOI）,and the Tropical Northern Atlantic Index（TNA）.These indices accounted for 81% of the variance in the Principal Components Analysis（PCA） method.The Atlantic surface temperature（SST：Atlantic） had an inverse relationship with SPI,and the AMM index had the highest correlation.Drought forecasts of neuro-fuzzy model demonstrate better prediction at a two-year lag compared to a stepwise regression model.     

Effects of UV-B irradiation on isoforms of antioxidant enzymes and their activities in red alga Grateloupiafilicina （Rhodophyta）

Macroalgae in a littoral zone are inevitably exposed to UV-B irradiance.We analyzed the effects of UV-B on isoenzyme patterns and activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),peroxidase(POX),catalase(CAT),and ascorbate peroxidase(APX) of red algae Grateloupia filicina(Lamour.) C.Agardh.The activities of SOD,CAT,and APX changed in response to UV-B in a time- and dose-dependent manner.POX activity increased significantly under all three UV-B treatments.The enzymatic assay showed three distinct bands of SODⅠ(Mn-SOD),SODⅡ(Fe-SOD),and SODⅢ(CuZn-SOD) under a low(Luv) and medium(Muv) dose of UV-B irradiation,while SODⅠ and SODⅢ activities decreased significantly when exposed to a high dose of UV-B irradiation(Huv).The activity of POX isoenzymes increased significantly after exposure to UV-B,which is consistent with the total activity.In addition,a clear decrease in activity of CATIV was detected in response to all the three doses of UV treatments.Some bands of APX isoenzyme were also clearly influenced by UV-B irradiation.Correspondingly,the daily growth rate declined under all the three exposure doses,and was especially significant under Muv and Huv treatments.These data suggest that,although the protection mechanisms of antioxidant defense system are partly inducible by UV-B to prevent the damage,G.filicina has incomplete tolerance to higher UV-B irradiation stress.     

NGS-metabarcoding revealing novel foraminiferal diversity in the Western Pacific Magellan Seamount sediments

Seamount is a unique deep-sea ecosystem widely distributed in the world.Its biodiversity is vibrant due to its specific geographical and hydrological conditions.However,the diversity and features of foraminifera in such an environment have rarely been studied.We extracted environmental DNA(eDNA) in sedime nts and amplified the partial small subunit ribo somal DNA(SSU rDNA) of fo raminife ra to understand the foraminiferal diversity from four sites in Magellan Seamount(Western Pacific Ocean).Partial S SU rDNA sequencing was conducted and 912 979 foraminiferal reads were obtained and gathered into 266 operational taxonomic units(OTUs).In the available dataset,a high proportion of rare OTUs and low identity OTUs in each studied sample showed that the Magellan Seamount foraminiferal community might have a high genetic novelty.The relative abundance of foraminifera varied between replicates probably due to the existence of bias in amplification process and patchiness of the deep-sea floor.It showed that the Magellan Seamount has a relatively high benthic foraminiferal diversity characterized mainly by monothalamiids(76.37% of total reads) in association with rotaliids(19.03 % of total reads),including planktic foraminiferal sequences(38.58% of rotaliids;7.36% of total reads).The remaining reads were assigned to miliolids(0.83 % of total reads) and textulariids(0.66% of total reads),and 3.11% of total reads are unassigned to a specific family.The co mparative analysis with foraminiferal assemblage s from coastal and deep-sea environme nts indicated that seamounts could aggregate species from a nearby deep-sea.     

Short-term Climate Characteristics at Ny-(A)lesund over the Arctic Tundra Area

Based on the Germany Koldwey Station's 1994-2003 conventional observation hourly data, this paper conducts a statistical analysis on the short-term climate characteristics for an arctic tundra region (Ny-(A)lesund island) where our first arctic expedition station (Huanghe Station) was located. Affected by the North Atlantic warming current, this area has a humid temperate climate, and the air temperature at Ny-(A)lesund rose above 0 ℃ even during deep winter season during our research period. The wind speed in this area was low and appeared most at southeast direction. We find that the temperature at Ny-(A)lesund rose in the faster rate (0.68 ℃/10 a) than those at the whole Arctic area. Compared with the floating ices where our expedition conducted in the Arctic, Ny-(A)lesund was warmer and more humid and had lower wind speed. Comparison of the near surface air temperature derived by NCEP/NCAR reanalysis to the conventional measurements conducted at the Koldwey site in Ny-(A)lesund area shows a good agreement for winter season and a significant difference for summer season.     

基于EEMD-SARIMA的对流层延迟预测模型研究

在无气象数据的条件下,提出一种基于集合经验模态分解（EEMD）和季节性自回归移动平均模型（SARIMA）的对流层延迟（ZTD）预报新方法,并分别选取长春、上海、乌鲁木齐3个地区4个季节的ZTD数据进行预测分析。结果表明,基于EEMD-SARIMA的ZTD改正预报模型能够满足不同地区、不同季节下的ZTD估计需求,是一种高精度的ZTD预报方法。     

Combined Bearing Capacity of Spudcans on a Double Layer Deposit of Strong-Over-Weak Clays

An extreme sea storm process can lead to a jack-up rig under the combined loading condition of vertical load(V), horizontal load(H), and moment(M) to have stability problems. This paper presents the analysis of combined bearing capacities of a circular spudcan on layered clays with a strong layer overlying a comparatively weaker layer. Numerical models combined with displacement-based load tests, swipe tests, and constant ratio displacement probe tests are adopted to calculate the uniaxial bearing capacities, failure envelopes in combined V-H, V-M planes, and failure envelopes in a combined V-H-M load space, respectively. A parametric study on the effects of vertical load level V, the layer strength ratio s_u,t/s_u,b, and the hard layer thickness t_1 on the bearing capacities is then performed. Results show that the vertical load level is a key factor that influences the values of H and M and the size of the H-M failure envelope. The existence of the underlying weak clay decreases the bearing capacities in all directions, and the vertical capacity Vult is affected more than the horizontal(H_ult) and moment(M_ult) capacities based on a single uniform deposit. The influence of the underlying weak clay on H-M failure envelope is mainly shown where H and M are coupled in the same direction. In contrast, little difference is observed when H and M are coupled in opposite directions.