Mineral Components and Anti-oxidant Activities of Tropical Seaweeds

Seaweeds are known to hold substances of high nutritional value; they are the richest resources of minerals important to the biochemical reactions in the human body. Seaweeds also hold non-nutrient compounds like dietary fiber and polyphenols. However, there is not enough information on the mineral compounds of tropical seaweeds. Also we are interested in the antioxidant activities of seaweeds, especially those in the tropical area. In this study, Indonesian green, brown and red algae were used as experimental materials with their mineral components analyzed by using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The catechins and flavonoids of these seaweeds were extracted with methanol and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） ; the anti-oxidant activities of these seaweeds were evaluated in a fish oil emulsion system. The mineral components of tropical seaweeds are dominated by calcium, potassium and sodium, as well as small amounts of copper, iron and zinc. A green alga usually contains epigallocatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin gallate and catechin. However, catechin and its isomers are not found in some green and red algae. In the presence of a ferrous ion catalyst, all the methanol extracts from the seaweeds show significantly lower peroxide values of the emulsion than the control, and that of a green alga shows the strongest anti-oxidant extract of this alga, which is significantly different from activity. The highest chelation on ferrous ions is also found in the the other methanol extracts in both 3 and 24 h incubations.     

Properties of polysaccharides in several seaweeds from Atlantic Canada and their potential anti-influenza viral activities

To explore the polysaccharides from selected seaweeds of Atlantic Canada and to evaluate their potential anti-influenza virus activities, polysaccharides were isolated from several Atlantic Canadian seaweeds, including three red algae (Polysiphonia lanosa, Furcellaria lumbricalis, and Palmaria palmata), two brown algae (Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus), and one green alga (Ulva lactuca) by sequential extraction with cold water, hot water, and alkali solutions. These polysaccharides were ana-lyzed for monosaccharide composition and other general chemical properties, and they were evaluated for anti-influenza virus activities. Total sugar contents in these polysaccharides ranged from 15.4% (in U. lactuca) to 91.4% (in F. lumbricalis); sulfation level was as high as 17.6% in a polysaccharide from U. lactuca, whereas it could not be detected in an alikali-extract from P. palmaria. For polysaccharides from red seaweeds, the main sugar units were sulfated galactans (agar or carrageenan) for P. lanosa, F. lumbricalis, and xylans for P. palmata. In brown seaweeds, the polysaccharides largely contained sulfated fucans, whereas the polysaccharides in green seaweed were mainly composed of heteroglycuronans. Screening for antiviral activity against influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus revealed that brown algal polysaccharides were particularly effective. Seaweeds from Atlantic Canada are a good source of marine polysaccharides with potential antiviral properties.     

Eddies in the northwest subtropical pacific and their possible effects on the South China Sea

Based on an analysis of drifter data from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment during 1979-1998, the sizes of the eddies in the North subtropical Pacific are determined from the radii of curvature of the drifter paths calculated by using a non-linear curve fitting method. To support the drifter data results, Sea Surface Height from the TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS2 satellite data are analyzed in connection with the drifter paths. It is found that the eddies in the North Pacific （18^＊- 23^＊N and 125^＊-150^＊E） move westward at an average speed of approximately 0.098 ms^-1 and their average radius is 176 km, with radii ranging from 98 km to 298 km. During the nineteen-year period, only 4 out of approximately 200 drifters （2%） actually entered the South China Sea from the area adjacent to the Luzon Strait （18^＊-22^＊N and 121^＊-125^＊E） in the winter. It is also found that eddies from the interior of the North Pacific are unlikely to enter the South China Sea through the Luzon Strait.     

Variation of bacteria biomass and its possible controlling factors in the East China Sea

Two surveys were performed for determining bacteria biomass (BB), temperature, salinity, chlorophyll a (chl-a) and nutrient concentrations at 11 stations with three sampling depths in the high-incidence regions of red tide in the East China Sea (ECS) in the spring of 2006. Temperature and salinity increased from nearshore to offshore region and from high latitude to low latitude in the two cruises of 2006. BB were between 0.3–5.2 mgC m⁻³ (about 2.1 mgC m⁻³ on average) and 0.2–6.0 mgC m⁻³ (about 2.7 mgC m⁻³ on average) respectively in the two cruises. BB in the surface layer decreased from the Changjiang River estuary to high sea and from low latitude to high latitude. The results showed that bacterial growth was regulated by temperature, primary production and inorganic nutrient concentrations depending on different hydrographic conditions. In the surface and middle layers where the primary production can supply enough organic substrate, temperature was the main factor to control bacteria biomass. BB showed a good correlation between the surface and middle layers in both cruises. The distribution of nutrients during both cruises showed a similar decreasing trend from nearshore region and high latitude to offshore region and low latitude. High BB values were mainly recorded from samples in the middle layer where chl-a concentrations were also high, indicating primary production being strongly correlated with temperature over the ECS shelf. In the offshore area, phosphate and silicate became limiting factors for phytoplankton growth with indirect influence on BB. Bacteria played an important role in nitrogen regeneration process turning organic nitrogen to inorganic forms such as NH₄ ⁺. The increasing ratio of NH₄ ⁺/DIN could be a proof of that.     

Spatial heterogeneity of a microbial community in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard during late summer 2006 and its relationship to biotic and abiotic factors

The 16S and 18S ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes of microbial organisms collected from the contrasting environments (temperature, salinity, silicate, phosphate and nitrate, p <0.05) of the inner and outer basins of Kongsfjorden (Spitsbergen, Arctic) were studied using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(DGGE) fingerprinting. Comparison of the microbial fingerprints and the physicochemical parameters revealed that molecular methodology exhibited a greater sensitivity. Sequences obtained from bacterial DGGE were affiliated with four main phylogenetic groups of bacteria:Proteobacteria(Alpha, Beta and Gamma), Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia and Cyanobacteria. The relationships between the genotype distribution of these microbes and associated biotic/abiotic factors, revealed by canonical correspondence analysis, showed that Station 1 at 30 m (outer fjord) was grouped separately from the other sites. This difference could be a consequence of the thermocline and base of the euphotic layer at this depth where the Atlantic and Arctic-type waters overlapped.     

Microbial processes and factors controlling their activities in alkaline lakes of the Mongolian plateau

A striking feature of the Mongolian plateau is the wide range of air temperatures during a year,-30 to 30°C.High summer temperatures,atmospheric weathering and the arid climate lead to formation of numerous alkaline soda lakes that are covered by ice during 6–7 months per year.During the study period,the lakes had p H values between 8.1 to 10.4 and salinity between 1.8 and 360 g/L.According to chemical composition,the lakes belong to sodium carbonate,sodium chloride-carbonate and sodium sulfate-carbonate types.This paper presents the data on the water chemical composition,results of the determination of the rates of microbial processes in microbial mats and sediments in the lakes studied,and the results of a Principal Component Analysis of environmental variables and microbial activity data.Temperature was the most important factor that influenced both chemical composition and microbial activity.p H and salinity are also important factors for the microbial processes.Dark CO 2 fixation is impacted mostly by salinity and the chemical composition of the lake water.Total photosynthesis and sulfate-reduction are impacted mostly by p H.Photosynthesis is the dominant process of primary production,but the highest rate(386 mg C/(L?d)) determined in the lakes studied were 2–3 times lower than in microbial mats of lakes located in tropical zones.This can be explained by the relatively short warm period that lasts only 3–4 months per year.The highest measured rate of dark CO 2 assimilation(59.8 mg C/(L?d)) was much lower than photosynthesis.The highest rate of sulfate reduction was 60 mg S/(L?d),while that of methanogenesis was 75.6 μLСН 4 /(L?d) in the alkaline lakes of Mongolian plateau.The rate of organic matter consumption during sulfate reduction was 3–4 orders of magnitude higher than that associated with methanogenesis.     

Influences of environmental factors on the modern reservoir effects in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau lakes

The establishment of reliable age in the lake sediment profile mainly depends on the AMS 14C dating technique.However,the presence of the 14C lake reservoir eff...     

Estimating areal carbon fixation of intertidal macroalgal community based on composition dynamics and laboratory measurements

The community dynamics and potential carbon ?xation of intertidal macroalgae were investigated monthly from April 2014 to April 2015 in the northwest coast of Yellow Sea. Seasonal variations in biomass and carbon ?xation were presented and showed close relationship with community structure.The carbon ?xation rate ranged from 0.48±0.13 mg C/(g FW ·d) to 4.35±0.12 mg C/(g FW ·d). Sargassum thunbergii, Chondrus ocellatus and Ulva intestinalis were three most in?uential species which contributed27%, 21.9% and 18.5% variation of carbon ?xation rate, respectively. Standing carbon stocks ranged from7.52 g C/m~2 to 41.31 g C/m~2, and estimated carbon stocks varied from 11.77 g C/m 2 to 96.49 g C/m~2. The larger dif ference between estimated and standing carbon stocks implied that more ?xed carbon was exported from the community in summer and autumn than in winter. This study suggested that intertidal macroalgal community could provide a potential function in carbon ?xation of coastal ecosystem.     

Studies on the effects of polyaspartate protease fertilizer enhancer in the absorptions of soil nutrition and the enzymatic activities of crops

1　Introduction　Chinaisboththelargestproducerandthelargestconsumerofchemicalfertilizersintheworld .Since1984 ,Chineseconsumptionofchemicalfertilizerhasincreasedmorethanonetimes ,fromabout 17millionmetrictonsto 35millionmetrictons .However ,dur ingthesameperiod ,theyieldoffoodproductionhasincreasedonlyabout 10 % .Thediscrepancybetweenfertilizerconsumptionandyieldincreasehasindicatedthedrasticdecreaseofthebenefitsofchemicalfertiliz ers .Infact ,theutilizationefficiencyofnitrogenfer tilizerinC…     

Change of annual extreme water levels and correlation with river discharges in the middle-lower Yangtze River: Characteristics and possible affecting factors

As one of the fastest developing regions in China, the middle-lower Yangtze River(MLYR) is vulnerable to floods and droughts. With obtained time series of annual highest water level(HWL), annual lowest water level(LWL) and the corresponding river discharges from three gauging stations in MLYR that covering the period 1987–2011, the current study evaluated the change characteristics of annual extreme water levels and the correlation with river discharges by using the methods of trend test, Mann-Whitney-Pettitt(MWP) test and double mass analysis. Major result indicated a decreasing/increasing trend for annual HWL/LWL of all stations in MLYR during the study period. A change point in 1999 was identified for annual HWL at the Hankou and Datong stations. The year 2006 was found to be the critical year that the relationship between annual extreme water levels and river discharges changed in the MLYR. With contrast to annual LWL in MLYR, further investigation revealed that the change characteristics of annual HWL were highly consistent with regional precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin, while the linkage with Three Gorges Dam(TGD) operation is not strong. Our observation also pointed out that the effect of serious down cutting of the riverbed and the enlargement of the cross-section area during the initial period of TGD operation caused the downward trend of the relationship between annual LWL and river discharge. Whereas, the relatively raised river water level before the flood season due to TGD regulation since 2006 explained for the changing upward trend of the relationship between annual HWL and river discharge.     

Abiotic factors in colony formation: effects of nutrition and light on extracellular polysaccharide production and cell aggregates of Microcystis aeruginosa

Colony morphology is important for Microcystis to sustain a competitive advantage in eutrophic lakes. The mechanism of colony formation in Microcystis is currently unclear. Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) has been reported to play an important role in cell aggregate formation of some phytoplankton. Microcystis aeruginosa was cultivated under varied abiotic conditions, including different nutrient, light, and temperature conditions, to investigate their effects on EPS production and morphological change. The results show that nutrient concentration and light intensity have great effects on EPS production in M. aeruginosa. There was a considerable increase in EPS production after M. aeruginosa was cultivated in adjusted culture conditions similar to those present in the field (28.9mg C/L, 1.98mg N/L, 0.65mg P/L, light intensity:100 μmol/(m2s)). These results indicate that abiotic factors might be one of the triggers for colony formation in Microcystis.     

Using the physical decomposition method to study the effects of Arctic factors on wintertime temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere and China

The physical decomposition method separates atmospheric variables into four parts, correlating each with solar radiation, land–sea distribution, and inter-annual and seasonal internal forcing, strengthening the anomaly signal and increasing the correlation between variables. This method was applied to the reanalysis data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research(NCEP/NCAR), to study the effects of Arctic factors(Arctic oscillation(AO) and Arctic polar vortex) on wintertime temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere and China. It was found that AO effects on zonal average temperature disturbance could persist for 1 month. In the AO negative phase in wintertime, the temperatures are lower in the mid–high latitudes than in normal years, but higher in low latitudes. When the polar vortex area is bigger, the zonal average temperature is lower at 50°N. Influenced mainly by meridional circulation enhancement, cold air flows from high to low latitudes; thus, the temperatures in Continental Europe and the North American continent exhibit an antiphase seesaw relationship. When the AO is in negative phase and the Arctic polar vortex larger, the temperature is lower in Siberia, but higher in Greenland and the Bering Strait. Influenced by westerly troughs and ridges, the polar air disperses mainly along the tracks of atmospheric activity centers. The AO index can be considered a predictor of wintertime temperature in China. When the AO is in negative phase or the Asian polar vortex is intensified, temperatures in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia are lower, because under the influence of the Siberia High and northeast cold vortex, the cold air flows southwards.     

Changes in spatial variations of sap flow in Korean pine trees due to environmental factors and their effects on estimates of stand transpiration

It is difficult to scale up measurements of the sap flux density (Js) for the characterization of tree or stand transpiration (E) due to spatial variations in JS and their temporal changes. To assess spatial variations in the sap flux density of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) and their effects on E estimates, we measured the Js using Granier-type sensors. Within trees, the Js decreased exponentially with the radial depth, and the Js of the east aspects were higher than those of the west aspects. Among trees, there was a positive relationship between Js and the tree diameter at breast height, and this positive relationship became stronger as the transpiration demand increased. The spatial variations that caused large errors in E estimates (i.e., up to 110.8 % when radial variation was ignored) had varied systematically with environmental factors systematic characteristics in relation to environmental factors. However, changes in these variations did not generate substantial errors in the E estimates. For our study periods, the differences in the daily E (E _D) calculated by ignoring radial, azimuthal and tree-to-tree variations and the measured E _D were fairly constant, especially when the daily vapor pressure deficit (D__D) was higher than 0.6 kPa. These results imply that the effect of spatial variations changes on sap flow can be a minor source of error compared with spatial variations (radial, azimuthal and tree-to-tree variations) when considering E estimates.     

Influences of hydrological regime on heavy metal and saltion concentrations in intertidal sediment from Chongming Dongtan,Changjiang River estuary,China

The tidal flat along the Changjiang(Yangtze) River estuary has long been reclaimed for the agricultural purposes, with the prevailing hydrological conditions during such pedogenic transformations being of great importance to their successful development. In this study, samples of surface sediment from Chongming Dongtan, situated at the mouth of the Changjiang River estuary, were collected and analyzed in order to understand how hydrological management can influence the concentrations of heavy metals and salt ions in pore water, and chemical fractionation of heavy metals during the reclamation process. We performed a series of experiments that simulated three dif ferent hydrological regimes: permanent flooding(R1), alternative five-day periods of wetting and drying(R2), continuous field capacity(R3). Our results exhibited good Pearson correlations coefficients between heavy metals and salt ions in the pore water for both R1 and R2. In particular, the concentrations of salt ions in the pore water decreased in all three regimes, but showed the biggest decline in R2. With this R2 experiment, the periodic concentration patterns in the pore water varied for Fe and Mn, but not for Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. Neither the fractionation of Ni nor the residual fractions of any metals changed significantly in any regime. In R1, the reducible fractions of heavy metals(Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb) in the sediment decreased, while the acid extractable fractions increased. In R2, the acid extractable and the reducible fractions of Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb both decreased, as did the oxidizable fraction of Cu. These data suggest that an alternating hydrological regime can reduce both salinity and the availability of heavy metals in sediments.     

Study on antithrombotic and antiplatelet activities of low molecular weight fucoidan from Laminaria japonica

The antithrombotic and antiplatelet effects of two fucoidan fractions with low molecular weight and different sulfate content from Laminaria japonica were compared in order to examine the influence of chemical character on their antithrombotic activity and the possible mechanism. Both LMW fucoidan fractions exhibited favorable antithrombotic activity in an Fecl3-induced arterial thrombosis. The antithrombotic activity of LMW fucoidan was related with decrease of TXB2 and whole blood viscosity and hematocrit. LMW fucoidan showed a correlation between anticoagulant, antiaggregant and antithrombotic effects in vivo. For LMW fucoidan, antithrombotic activity required high dose of 5-10 nmol kg-1, concomitantly with increase in anticoagulant activity and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Administration of LMW fucoidan significantly promoted the 6-keto-PGF1α content and decreased the TXB2 content, indicating its inhibition of tissue factor pathway and regulation of metabolism of arachidonic acid. By comparison, highly sulfated fucoidan LF2 with Mw 3900 seemed to be a more suitable choice for antithrombotic drug for its antithrombotic activity accompanied with specific inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation, low anticoagulant activity and low hemorrhagic risk in vivo.     

Assessing the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic activities on vegetation in southwest China

The topography and geomorphology of southwest China are complex, and the intensity of human activities not balanced. The impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on vegetation shows temporal and spatial differences. Therefore, we used normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)to analyze the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on vegetation in four provinces and municipality in the southwest China from 2000 to 2015. The results showed that(1) NDVI increased 0.004–...     

THE PRELIMINARY STUDY ON POSSIBLE SCENARIOS OF FLOOD AND DROUGHT IN CHINA IN THE CASE OF GLOBAL WARMING

ＴＨＥ ＰＲＥＬＩＭＩＮＡＲＹ ＳＴＵＤＹ ＯＮ ＰＯＳＳＩＢＬＥ ＳＣＥＮＡＲＩＯＳ ＯＦ ＦＬＯＯＤ ＡＮＤ ＤＲＯＵＧＨＴ ＩＮ ＣＨＩＮＡ ＩＮ ＴＨＥ ＣＡＳＥ ＯＦ ＧＬＯＢＡＬ ＷＡＲＭＩＮＧ ＣｈｅｎＪｉａｑｉ（陈家其）（Ｎａｎｊｉｎ...     

Magnitude and forming factors of mass elevation effect on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Mass elevation effect(MEE) refers to the thermal effect of huge mountains or plateaus, which causes the tendency for temperature-related montane landscape limits to occur at higher elevations in the inner massifs than on their outer margins. MEE has been widely identified in all large mountains, but how it could be measured and what its main forming-factors are still remain open. This paper, supposing that the local mountain base elevation(MBE) is the main factor of MEE, takes the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) as the study area, defines MEE as the temperature difference(ΔT) between the inner and outer parts of mountain massifs, identifies the main forming factors, and analyzes their contributions to MEE. A total of 73 mountain bases were identified, ranging from 708 m to 5081 m and increasing from the edges to the central parts of the plateau. Climate data(1981–2010) from 134 meteorological stations were used to acquire ΔT by comparing near-surface air temperature on the main plateau with the free-air temperature at the same altitude and similar latitude outside of the plateau. The ΔT for the warmest month is averagely 6.15℃, over 12℃ at Lhatse and Baxoi. A multivariate linear regression model was developed to simulate MEE based on three variables(latitude, annual mean precipitation and MBE), which are all significantly correlated to ΔT. The model could explain 67.3% of MEE variation, and the contribution rates of three independent variables to MEE are 35.29%, 22.69% and 42.02%, respectively. This confirms that MBE is the main factor of MEE. The intensive MEE of the QTP pushes the 10℃ isotherm of the warmest month mean temperature 1300–2000 m higher in the main plateau than in the outer regions, leading the occurrence of the highest timberline(4900 m) and the highest snowline(6200 m) of the Northern Hemisphere in the southeast and southwest of the plateau, respectively.