ISOLATION, PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HYDROGEN EVOLUTION PROMOTING FACTOR OF HYDROGENASE OF SPIRULINA PLATENSIS

A component (s-factor) with obvious promoting effect on hydrogen evolution of hydrogenase has beenisolated and extracted from a Cell=free preparation of Spirulina platensis.The effect of the s-factor in the re-action system is similar to that of Na_2S_2O_4, but is coupled with ligh. The s-factor has the maximumabsorption peak at 620 nm in the oxidized state, at 590 nm in the reduced state. The partially purifieds-factor showed two bands by SDS-PAGE and is distinctly different from phycocyanin,which has nochange of oxidized state and reduced state absorption spectra, and also has no promoting effect onhydrogenase of Spirulina platensis under the light.     

Models for the magnitude‐distribution of brightest cluster galaxies

The brightest, or first-ranked, galaxies (BCGs) in rich clusters show a very small dispersion in luminosity, making them excellent standard candles. This small dispersion raises questions about the nature of BCGs. Are they simply the extremes of normal galaxies formed via a stochastic process, or do they belong to a special class of atypical objects? If they do, are all BCGs special, or do normal galaxies compete for the first rank? To answer these questions, we undertake a statistical study of BCG magnitudes using results from extreme value theory. Two-population models do better than one-population models. A simple scenario where a random boost in the magnitude of a fraction of bright normal galaxies forms a class of atypical galaxies best describes the observed distribution of BCG magnitudes.     

Dissipationless mergers of elliptical galaxies and the evolution of the fundamental plane

We carry out numerical simulations of dissipationless major mergers of elliptical galaxies using initial galaxy models that consist of a dark matter haloes and a stellar bulge with properties consistent with the observed fundamental plane. By varying the density profile of the dark matter haloes [standard Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) profile versus adiabatically contracted NFW profile], the global stellar to dark matter mass ratio and the orbit of the merging galaxies, we are able to assess the impact of each of these factors on the structure of the merger remnant. Our results indicate that the properties of the remnant bulge depend primarily on the angular momentum and energy of the orbit; for a cosmologically motivated orbit, the effective radius and velocity dispersion of the remnant bulge remain approximately on the fundamental plane. This indicates that the observed properties of elliptical galaxies are consistent with significant growth via late dissipationless mergers. We also find that the dark matter fraction within the effective radius of our remnants increases after the merger, consistent with the hypothesis that the tilt of the fundamental plane from the virial theorem is due to a varying dark matter fraction as a function of galaxy mass.     

Decoupling of stalagmite-derived Asian summer monsoon records from North Atlantic temperature change during marine oxygen isotope stage 5d

The Asian monsoon is an important component of the global climate system. Seasonal variations in wind, rainfall, and temperature associated with the Asian monsoon systems affect a vast expanse of tropical and subtropical Asia. Speleothem-derived summer monsoon variation in East Asia was previously found to be closely associated with millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region between 75 and 10 ka. New evidence recovered from East Asia, however, suggests that the teleconnection between summer monsoon in East Asia and temperature change in the North Atlantic region may have significantly reduced during 120 to ~ 110 ka, a period directly after the full last interglaciation and corresponding roughly to marine oxygen isotope stage 5d. This reduction may be due to the low ice volume in the North Hemisphere at that time, which makes the millennial-scale change in temperature in the North Atlantic region less effective in influencing the Asian summer monsoon. This is important for investigating the mechanisms controlling the Asian summer monsoon and the paleoclimatic teleconnection between East Asia and the North Atlantic region, and for predicting monsoon-associated precipitation in East Asia under a global-warming trend.     

Origin and mechanisms of K–Si-metasomatism of ca. 3.4–3.3 Ga volcaniclastic deposits and implications for Archean seawater evolution: Examples from cherts of Kittys Gap (Pilbara craton, Australia) and Msauli (Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa)

The effects of K–Si-metasomatism during the formation of Early Archean replacement cherts have been quantified in this study by the investigation of two well-known stratigraphic sections: the Msauli chert (MC, Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa) and the Kittys Gap chert (KGC, Pilbara craton, Western Australia). The KGCs have a dacitic precursor similar to Duffer Formation dacites (Pilbara craton), while the MCs are derived from Al-depleted komatiites similar to those from the Weltevreden Formation (Barberton greenstone belt). Mass balance calculations reveal that the volcaniclastic deposits had initial porosities of up to 85 vol.% for the KGC and of 65 vol.% for the MC. Secondary porosities (27 vol.%: MC, 8 vol.%: KGC) produced during K-metasomatism are proportional to the dissolution of Fe, Ca, Mg-rich glass and precursor minerals. Komatiites have a higher chemical exchange potential than dacites, each gram releasing 1.2 mmol Fe²⁺, 2.8 mmol Mg²⁺, 1.4 mmol Ca²⁺ and 1.1 mmol Na⁺ to seawater, together with 4.4 mmol O²⁻. K-metasomatism of 1 g of komatiite further implies an uptake of 0.67 mmol of K⁺ and 2.7 mmol of H⁺. The highest silica uptake is achieved for the KGC (82 mmol/g of precursor). This silica enrichment most likely operated in the water column and at the sediment–water interface by sorption mechanisms on the surface of detrital particles and particulate organic matter, as a result of seawater silica-saturation. Acidic conditions (pH 5.5–6.5) and hot temperatures (>70 °C) favored the formation of K-rich phyllosilicates by interaction with seawater during the early diagenetic alteration of the volcaniclastic particles. The widespread occurrence of K–Si-metasomatism in volcanic and sedimentary rocks can be regarded as a general alteration process of the Early Archean seafloor, with a major influence on seawater composition. The highly K-selective metasomatism confirms previous studies suggesting that the Archean ocean was acidic and probably in equilibrium with a CO₂-rich atmosphere.     

江西浒坑钨矿含矿石英脉的地质特征及成矿构造演化

位于赣西武功山地区的江西浒坑钨矿是一个大型石英脉型钨矿床,与赣南典型的“五层楼”模式不同,矿脉主要集中在岩体内接触带。含矿石英脉除了普通的块状构造以外,还普遍存在条带状构造。详细的野外编录和镜下研究表明含矿块状石英脉在形成后遭受不同程度的韧性剪切,从而形成不同成分的分异条带。剪切带以出现新生的面理和线理（拉伸线理）为特征。岩石学研究表明条带状矿石属于糜棱岩,具有丰富的塑性变形显微构造特征。通过对含矿石英脉的构造解析,认为与岩浆岩有关的原生节理系统基本上是同时形成的,沿节理充填的石英脉经历了长期的、多期次的构造运动,从而形成了复杂的石英脉和矿石类型。建立了原生节理形成→石英充填→韧性剪切发生→二期石英充填→脆性碎裂的矿区构造演化序列。韧性剪切作用的动力学背景可能是受后期岩浆侵入的影响,最后的脆性破裂应与区域上存在南北向的压应力有关。