Molecular cloning of the heat shock protein 20 gene from Paphia textile and its expression in response to heat shock

P. textile is an important aquaculture species in China and is mainly distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi Provinces. In this study, an HSP20 c DNA designated Pt HSP20 was cloned from P. textile. The full-length c DNA of Pt HSP20 is 1 090 bp long and contains a 5′ untranslated region(UTR) of 93 bp, a 3′ UTR of 475 bp, and an open reading frame(ORF) of 522 bp. The Pt HSP20 c DNA encodes 173 amino acid residues and has a molecular mass of 20.22 k Da and an isoelectric point of 6.2. Its predicted amino acid sequence shows that Pt HSP20 contains a typical α-crystallin domain(residues 77–171) and three polyadenylation signal-sequences at the C-terminus. According to an amino acid sequence alignment, Pt HSP20 shows moderate homology to other mollusk s HSPs. Pt HSP20 m RNA was present in all of the test tissues including the heart, digestive gland, adductor muscle, gonad, gill, and mantle, with the highest concentration found in the gonad. Under the stress of high temperature, the expression of Pt HSP20 m RNA was down-regulated in all of the tissues except the adductor muscle and gonad.     

Turnover Frequency in Solar Microwave Bursts with an Extremely Flat Optically Thin Spectrum

Four microwave bursts have been selected from the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeter (NoRP) observations with an extremely flat spectrum in the optically thin part and a very hard spectral index between 0 and ?1 in the maximum phase of all bursts. It is found that the time evolution of the turnover frequency is inversely proportional to the time profiles of the radio flux in all bursts. Based on the nonthermal gyrosynchrotron theory of Ramaty (Astrophys. J. 158, 753, 1969), the local magnetic field strength and the electron spectral index are calculated uniquely from the observed radio spectral index and the turnover frequency. We found that the electron energy spectrum is very hard (spectral index 1?–?2), and the time variation of the magnetic field strength is also inversely proportional to the radio flux as a function of time in all bursts. Hence, the time evolution of the turnover frequency can be explained directly by its dependence on the local magnetic field strength. The high turnover frequency (several tens of GHz) is mainly caused by a strong magnetic field of up to several hundred gauss, and probably by the Razin effect under a high plasma density over \(10^{10}~\mbox{cm}^{-3}\) in the maximum phase of these bursts. Therefore, the extremely flat microwave spectrum can be well understood by the observed high turnover frequency and the calculated hard electron spectral index.     

Mesoscale dynamics and its application in torrential rainfall systems in China

Progress over the past decade in understanding moisture-driven dynamics and torrential rain storms in China is reviewed in this paper. First, advances in incorporating moisture effects more realistically into theory are described, including the development of a new parameter, generalized moist potential vorticity(GMPV) and an improved moist ageostrophic Q vector(Qum). Advances in vorticity dynamics are also described, including the adoption of a "parcel dynamic" approach to investigate the development of the vertical vorticity of an air parcel; a novel theory of slantwise vorticity development, proposed because vorticity develops easily near steep isentropic surfaces; and the development of the convective vorticity vector(CVV)as an effective new tool. The significant progress in both frontal dynamics and wave dynamics is also summarized, including the geostrophic adjustment of initial unbalanced flow and the dual role of boundary layer friction in frontogenesis, as well as the interaction between topography and fronts, which indicate that topographic perturbations alter both frontogenesis and frontal structure. For atmospheric vortices, mixed wave/vortex dynamics has been extended to explain the propagation of spiral rainbands and the development of dynamical instability in tropical cyclones. Finally, we review wave and basic flow interaction in torrential rainfall, for which it was necessary to extend existing theory from large-scale flows to mesoscale fields, enriching our knowledge of mesoscale atmospheric dynamics.     

广西糖料蔗寒冻害风险评估与风险区划研究

基于广西1961~2013年冬季寒冻害过程最低气温资料、地理信息数据及地表反射率资料,采用统计学中的多元回归法,构建了基于地理信息与地表反射率相耦合的最低气温降尺度模型及区域250m×250m网格点逐年冬季寒冻害过程最低气温数据库。在此基础上,结合糖料蔗寒冻害等级指标,对广西区域糖料蔗寒冻害时空分布特征进行了分析,并编制了广西区域糖料蔗不同寒冻害等级频率图及糖料蔗寒冻害产量损失率图,同时对广西糖料蔗寒冻害风险等级进行划分及评述。这一结果对糖料蔗种植优化布局及政策性农业保险费率的确定有积极意义。     

日冕物质抛射及其伴生的射电辐射观测特征

统计分析了太阳活动周下降段(2003～2005年)发生的76个共生CME的射电爆发事件.射电爆发资料来自国家天文台和Culgoora的微波和米波频谱仪.在76个事件中有50个快速CME和26个慢速CME.从中发现,快速CME和慢速CME的产率分别随着太阳活动周的降低而下降和上升,这可能说明CME的产率与太阳活动周中日冕磁结构的位形和位置变化有关.同时也发现,射电爆发的类型和寿命有一个变化规律,即随着频率的降低射电爆发的寿命变长,此特征支持了伴生CME的Ⅱ型爆发统一模型的思想.另外还发现在厘米一分米波范围,CME开始前后,容易发生射电Ⅲ型爆发或快速精细结构.这说明射电辐射的精细结构可能是CME的前兆现象或CME早期发展阶段由于磁重联引发的低日冕小尺度磁扰动的结果.     

Use of fluorescein as a ground water tracer in brackish water aquifers

A drift and pumpback experiment was conducted in a brackish water sandfill. The sandfill was reclaimed from the sea in the eastern part of Singapore and contains sands with low organic and clay/silt contents. The high salinity in the ground water precludes the use of chloride and bromide as tracers in such an environment, and a field experiment was conducted to assess the viability of using fluorescein as a tracer in brackish water aquifers. Nitrate was used as a second tracer to serve as a check. Initial laboratory studies showed that fluorescence was unaffected over the range of electrical conductivity and pH of the ground water. Results from the field experiment show that fluorescein appears to behave conservatively.     

Origin and evolution of oilfield brines from Tertiary strata in western Qaidam Basin: Constraints from <Superscript>87</Superscript>Sr/<Superscript>86</Superscript>Sr, δD, δ<Superscript>18</Superscript>O, δ<Superscript>34</Superscript>S and water chemistry

Chemistry of major and minor elements, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δD, δ¹⁸O and δ³⁴S of brines were measured from Tertiary strata and Quaternary salt lakes in the western Qaidam Basin. The water chemistry data show that all oilfield brines are CaCl₂ type. They were enriched in Ca²⁺, B³⁺, Li⁺, Sr²⁺, Br⁻, and were depleted in Mg²⁺, SO₄ ²⁻, which indicated that these brines had the characteristics of deeply circulated water. The relationship between δD and δ¹⁸O shows that all data of these brines decline towards the Global Meteoric Water Line (GWL) and Qaidam Meteoric Water Line (QWL), and that the intersection between oilfield brines and Meteoric Water Lines was close to the local spring and fresh water in the piedmont in the western Qaidam Basin. The results suggest that oilfield brines has initially originated from meteoric water, and then might be affected by water-rock metamorphose, because most oilfield brines distribute in the range of metamorphosing water. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of most oilfield brines range from 0.71121 to 0.71194, and was less than that in salt lake water (>0.712), but close to that of halite in the study area. These imply that salt dissolution occurred in the process of migration. In addition, all oilfield brines have obviously much positive δ³⁴S values (ranging from 26.46‰ to 54.57‰) than that of salt lake brines, which was caused by bacterial sulfate reduction resulting in positive shift of δ³⁴S value and depleteed SO₄ ²⁻ in oilfield brines. Combined with water chemical data and δD, δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, δ³⁴S values, we concluded that oilfield brines mainly originate from the deeply circulated meteoric waters, and then are affected by salt dissolution, water-rock metamorphose, sulfate reduction and dolomitization during the process of migration. These processes alter the chemical compositions of oilfield brines and accumulate rich elements (such as B, Li, Sr, Br, K and so on) for sustainable utilization of salt lake resources in the Qaidam Basin.     

Some Fundamental Issues in Dynamic Compression and Tension Tests of Rocks Using Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar

Accurate characterizations of rock strengths under higher loading rates are crucial in many rock engineering applications. The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system has been used to quantify the dynamic compressive strength of rocks using the short cylindrical specimen and the dynamic tensile strength of rocks using the Brazilian disc (BD) specimen. However, SHPB is a standard tool that is suitable for metal testing; there are some fundamental issues that need to be carefully visited in applying SHPB to rock dynamic tests. This paper addresses several such critical issues, including the choice of slenderness ratio of the compressive specimen, the effect of friction between the sample and bars on the measured results of compressive strength, the necessity of dynamic force balance on the dynamic BD test, and the validity of using the standard BD equation in the data reduction. We show that with proper experimental designs that address these issues, the dynamic compressive strength and dynamic tensile strength of rocks measured using SHPB are valid and reliable.