Construction of two selectable markers for integrative/conjugative plasmids in Flavobacterium columnare

Flavobacterium columnare, the etiological agent of columnaris disease, is one of the most important and widespread bacterial pathogens of freshwater fish. In this study, we constructed two artificial selectable markers (chloramphenicol and spectinomycin resistance) for gene transfer in F. columnare. These two new artificial selectable markers, which were created by placing the chloramphenicol or spectinomycin resistance gene under the control of the native acs regulatory region of F. columnare, were functional in both F. columnare and Escherichia coli. The integrative/conjugative plasmids constructed by using these markers were introduced into F. columnare G4 via electroporation or conjugation. The integrated plasmid DNA was confirmed by Southern blotting and PCR analysis. These two markers can be employed in future investigations into gene deletion and the pathogenicity of virulence factors in F. columnare.     

Analysis of landslide damage caused by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake using strong motion data: A case study in the Beichuan county town

The county town of Beichuan county, China, experienced catastrophic destruction due to landslides induce by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In consideration of the special location of the county town, this paper selected the landslides induced in the town as representative of large-scale near-rupture landslides, and quantitatively analyzed why the landslide damage was so destructive in the town by using strong motion data obtained from the Wenchuan earthquake in the Longmenshan area. Three methods were employed to estimate the landslide damage using strong motion data. (1) Peak ground accelerations (PGAs) on the hanging wall were used to evaluate the PGAs on the landslide sites in the town. The evaluated average PGAs were all greater than 1 g, indicating that the ground motion intensity was very strong during the earthquake. (2) Acceleration time histories, from another station with similar geological conditions to the town, were used to evaluate the critical acceleration changing range, and the estimated values showed the geological conditions were very susceptible to earthquakes. (3) Acceleration time histories, from two stations on the hanging and foot walls of the rupture, and near the town, were used to calculate the Newmark displacements, and all the evaluated displacements indicated that landslides were very likely. The results show that the slopes, susceptible to earthquakes in the Beichuan county town, were easily triggered under such strong ground-motion intensity and developed into large-scale catastrophic events.     

Experimental and numerical study on hysteretic performance of SMA spring-friction bearings

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study to investigate the hysteretic performance of a new type of isolator consisting of shape memory alloy springs and friction bearing called an SMA spring-friction bearing (SFB). The SFB is a sliding-type isolator with SMA devices used for the seismic protection of engineering structures. The principle of operation of the isolation bearing is introduced. In order to explore the possibility of applying SMA elements in passive seismic control devices, large diameter superelastic tension/compression NiTi SMA helical springs used in the SFB isolator were developed. Mechanical experiments of the SMA helical spring were carried out to understand its superelastic characteristics. After that, a series of quasi-static tests on a single SFB isolator prototype were conducted to measure its force-displacement relationships for different loading conditions and study the corresponding variation law of its mechanical performance. The experimental results demonstrate that the SFB exhibits full hysteretic curves, excellent energy dissipation capacity, and moderate recentering ability. Finally, a theoretical model capable of emulating the hysteretic behavior of the SMA-based isolator was then established and implemented in MATLAB software. The comparison of the numerical results with the experimental results shows the efficacy of the proposed model for simulating the response of the SFB.     

新疆典型地区大气降尘磁学特征及其环境意义

应用环境磁学方法对北疆昌吉地区和南疆阿克苏地区大气降尘的磁学特征进行对比研究。结果表明：2012年春夏季昌吉地区大气降尘样品磁性矿物以磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿为主,阿克苏地区样品除受到磁铁矿、磁赤铁矿主要控制外,还含有更多赤铁矿等高矫顽力磁性矿物。两地降尘样品都以假单畴颗粒PSD和多畴颗粒MD为主。昌吉地区大气降尘样品的磁性矿物含量明显高于阿克苏地区。阿克苏地区大气降尘样品以天然降尘为主,强磁性矿物含量较低;昌吉地区降尘样品人为源输入强度高,磁学信号强。大气降尘的磁学特征包含大量环境信息,可以作为粉尘环境监测的重要手段。严格控制工业污染物排放,合理规划工业布局,依旧是治理城市大气污染的重要措施。     

乌鲁木齐大气降尘磁学特征及其环境意义

应用环境磁学方法研究了2012年乌鲁木齐大气降尘磁学特征,并与该地区2006年大气降尘样品磁学特征进行对比,探讨乌鲁木齐城市化进程中的大气降尘磁学特征变化规律。结果表明：乌鲁木齐大气降尘样品磁性矿物以粗颗粒的PSD和MD磁铁矿为主导,同时含有少量的不完全反铁磁性矿物如赤铁矿。与2006年相比,2012年降尘样品的颗粒较粗,且在取暖期内亚铁磁性矿物含量较少。乌鲁木齐冬季取暖整治措施成效显著,但非采暖期大气整体质量相对2006年有所下降,影响乌鲁木齐城市大气质量的主要因素已经由冬季供暖向城市化的加快和工业的发展这两个因素转移。     

Initial abstraction and curve numbers for semiarid watersheds in Southeastern Arizona

The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number (CN) estimates of direct runoff from rainfall for semiarid catchments can be inaccurate. Investigation of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) (Southeastern Arizona) and its ten nested catchments determined that the inaccuracy is due to the original SCS ratio (λ) of 0.2 between initial abstraction and maximum potential retention. Sensitivity analyses indicate that runoff estimation can be very sensitive to the initial abstraction ratio, especially for relatively low rainfall amount and for watersheds covered by deep, coarse, and porous soil, conditions that dominate many semiarid watersheds worldwide. Changing the ratio of initial abstraction to the maximum potential retention to optimal values ranging from 0.01 to 0.53 for different Walnut Gulch catchments improved runoff estimates. The greater the channel area and the finer the soil, the smaller the initial abstraction ratio is. The variation of the initial abstraction ratio for the WGEW is due to the variation of maximum potential retention and initial abstraction, which are channel area and soil‐dependent parameters. The greater the channel area, the higher the maximum potential retention S is, and the coarser the soil, the larger the initial abstraction I_a is. In addition, the effect of initial abstraction ratio on runoff estimation increases with decreasing CN. Thus, impacts of initial abstraction ratio on runoff estimation should be considered, especially for semiarid watersheds where the CN is usually low. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

2014年2月12日新疆于田MS7.3地震前地震活动特征分析

This paper introduces the geological structure background around the 2014 Yutian Ms7. 3 earthquake area, investigates and analyzes the regime of small earthquake activity and the characteristics of regional seismicity pattern in Xinjiang before the earthquake, and compares the characteristics of the regional seismic activity with the 2008 Yutian Ms7.3 earthquake. The results show： ① 2 ~ 3 years before the 2014 Yutian Ms7. 3 earthquake, Xinjiang was in a seismic active state with strong earthquake occurring successively, and before the 2008 Ms 7. 3 earthquake, Xinjiang was in the quiet state of moderate-small earthquakes with M3. 0 ~ 4. 0. ② Before this Yutian Ms7. 3 earthquake, the regional seismic activity showed a short-term anomaly feature, that is, seismicity of M ≥ 5. 0 earthquakes significantly increased on the Altun seismic zone and in the source area three years before the Ms7.3 earthquake, while a five year long quiescence of seismicity of M ≥4. 0 earthquakes appeared on the east of the source area in a range of about 440kin. Six months before this M7. 3 earthquake, there existed seismic gap of M3. 0 ~ 4. 0 earthquakes and near-conjugate seismic belt magnitude 3. 0 and 4. 0 in the source area. ③ The state of strong earthquake activity and the seismicity pattern of small earthquakes before this Yutian Ms7. 3 earthquake were significantly different to that before the 2008 Yutian Ms7. 3 earthquake, and this may be related to the different seismogenic environments of the two Ms7. 3 earthquakes.     

新疆4次中强地震前小震震源机制变化特征

采用点源位错模型、层状介质速度结构,利用地震波垂直向记录的直达 、 波最大振幅,计算小地震震源机制。通过系统聚类,利用矢量合成方法,计算得到各类解的平均震源机制解。采用上述方法,针对2003年以来新疆北天山西段和中天山地区4次中强地震前,震源区周围中小地震震源断错性质和P轴方位的变化进行分析。结果显示,中强地震前2～3年中小地震震源机制解类型随机分布,震前1年表现出明显的优势分布特点,主压应力P轴方位发生较明显的偏转变化。     

藏南多层位金锑含矿建造特征及其控矿因素制约

初步研究表明,成矿带内主要矿床(点)的赋矿地层具有明显的规律性特征,发育时代和藏南印支和燕山两期伸展运动的构造背景相对应。含矿沉积建造可基本分为碎屑岩型和硅质岩型两类,分别代表裂陷(谷)盆地内的浊流或喷流沉积相。深部来源的矿质可能是产生区域性成矿作用的主要矿源,而地层来源的Au、Sb则起辅助作用。变质核杂岩的空间结构以及拆离构造的发育型式和含矿建造关系密切,它们往往构成有利的容矿和导矿构造。此外,喜山期岩浆活动和含矿建造的发育也存在时空耦合关系。     

甘肃龙首山东段小口子镁铁-超镁铁质岩体岩石学、地球化学及年代学研究

阿拉善地块南缘龙首山地区以产出新元古代的金川铜镍硫化物矿床而著名,围绕金川矿床外围寻找铜镍矿一直备受关注。小口子镁铁-超镁铁质岩体位于龙首山东段,主要由蛇纹岩、单辉橄榄岩、橄榄辉石岩组成,岩体中局部发现了星点状硫化物,硫化物由黄铁矿、黄铜矿组成,没有发现铜镍矿体,仅有部分磁铁矿化,前人研究认为小口子岩体可能是金川铜镍矿床同期的岩浆事件产物。本次研究通过岩石地球化学研究显示,小口子岩体镁铁比值为5.31~8.74,高于一般赋存铜镍矿岩体的镁铁比值。样品球粒陨石标准化的稀土元素配分曲线为平坦型,稀土元素总量低,暗示岩石具有橄榄石堆晶特征;Sr,Nd同位素研究显示:ε_(Nd)(t)=6.09~7.77,指示岩浆源区为亏损型地幔特征;微量元素比值与同位素模拟计算结果指示母岩浆经历了微弱的中上地壳物质混染。岩体中单颗粒锆石U-Pb年龄为284.4±3.5Ma,结合区域地质对比,小口子镁铁-超镁铁质岩体的形成背景可能与古亚洲洋的闭合或俯冲之后的伸展作用相关。