Deciphering Groundwater Flow Systems in Oasis Valley, Nevada, Using Trace Element Chemistry, Multivariate Statistics, and Geographical Information System

The origin of groundwater discharging via evapotranspiration and from springs within Oasis Valley, Nevada, is of concern owing to the close proximity of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the possible contamination of groundwater as a result of underground nuclear testing. Principal components analysis, cluster analysis, and population partitioning, along with a Geographical Information System, were used to decipher groundwater flow patterns in Oasis Valley, Nevada. These multivariate statistical techniques were applied to the trace element chemistry of groundwater samples collected from 26 springs and wells within Oasis Valley, the NTS, and the Nellis Air Force Range. The results of all statistical analyses showed similar geographical trends in the trace element chemistry of the groundwaters included in this study. Differences are observed between the groundwaters from the NTS and those of Oasis Valley based on the concentrations of the elements Li, Ge, Mo, Rb, Ba, U, and Ru. A concentration gradient is observed from lower concentrations in the NTS to increasing concentrations toward Oasis Valley suggesting groundwater flow in an overall southwestward direction from the NTS. Also, a different trace element signature is observed for the waters collected in the northern and western region of Oasis Valley, suggesting another source of groundwater to this area.     

Biomass allocation patterns of alpine grassland species and functional groups along a precipitation gradient on the Northern Tibetan Plateau

Variations in the fractions of biomass allocated to functional components are widely considered as plant responses to resource availability for grassland plants. Observations indicated shoots isometrically relates to roots at the community level but allometrically at the species level in Tibetan alpine grasslands. These differences may result from the specific complementarity of functional groups between functional components, such as leaf, root, stem and reproductive organ. To test the component complementary responses to regional moisture variation, we conducted a multi-site transect survey to measure plant individual size and component biomass fractions of common species belonging to the functional groups： forbs, grasses, legumes and sedges on the Northern Tibetan Plateau in peak growing season in 2010. Along the mean annual precipitation （MAP） gradient, we sampled 7o species, in which 2o are in alpine meadows, 20 in alpine steppes, 15 in alpine desert-steppes and 15 in alpine deserts, respectively. Our results showed that the size of alpine plants is small with individual biomass mostly lower than 1.0 g. Plants keep relative conservative component individual responses moisture functional fractions across alpine grasslands at the level. However, the complementary between functional components to variations specifically differ among groups. These results indicate that functional group diversity may be an effective tool for scaling biomass allocation patterns from individual up to community level. Therefore, it is necessary andvaluable to perform intensive and systematic studies on identification and differentiation the influences of compositional changes in functional groups on ecosystem primary services and processes.     

A polysaccharide-degrading marine bacterium Flammeovirga sp. MY04 and its extracellular agarase system

Bacteria of the genus Flammeovirga can digest complex polysaccharides (CPs), but no details have been reported regarding the CP depolymerases of these bacteria. MY04, an agarolytic marine bacterium isolated from coastal sediments, has been identified as a new member of the genus Flammeovirga. The MY04 strain is able to utilize multiple CPs as a sole carbon source and grows well on agarose, mannan, or xylan. This strain produces high concentrations of extracellular proteins (490 mg L-1 ± 18.2 mg L-1 liquid culture) that exhibit efficient and extensive degradation activities on various polysaccharides, especially agarose. These proteins have an activity of 310 U mg-1 ± 9.6 U mg-1 proteins. The extracellular agarase system (EAS) in the crude extracellular enzymes contains at least four agarose depolymerases, which are with molecular masses of approximately 30-70 kDa. The EAS is stable at a wide range of pH values (6.0-11.0), temperatures (0-50℃), and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations (0- 0.9 mol L-1). Two major degradation products generated from agarose by the EAS are identified to be neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose, suggesting that β-agarases are the major constituents of the MY04 EAS. These results suggest that the Flammeovirga strain MY04 and its polysac-charide-degradation system hold great promise in industrial applications.     

具有多种胞外酶的对虾肠道黏附菌的分离和鉴定

用对虾饲料培养基从健康凡纳滨对虾肠道分离出500株黏附细菌,以产淀粉酶、脂肪酶和蛋白酶能力为指标,筛选出产该3种消化酶的细菌90株,占总菌株的18%.对其中生长较快的69株进行16S rDNA 基因测序,确定其分类地位.结果显示,69株菌分别属于不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter)、芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)、葡萄球菌属(Staphylococcus)、假交替单胞菌属(Pseudoalteromonas)、气单胞菌属(Aeromonas)、嗜盐单胞菌属(Halomonas)、利斯顿氏菌属(Listonella)、莫拉氏菌属(Moraxella)等,其中数量最多是芽胞杆菌属,占鉴定细菌总数的53.62%,数量最少是气单胞菌属和嗜盐单胞菌属,均占鉴定细菌总数的2.90%.表明对虾肠道黏附菌群中具有较多能分泌多种消化酶的细菌,可进一步开发为促进对虾消化功能的益生菌     

Seismic response of nonstructural components attached on multistorey buildings

The maintenance of integrity and functionality of nonstructural components during earthquake excitations is of paramount importance since mechanical failure of those systems can have dramatic consequences in terms of property damage and life safety of the buildings' occupants. This paper explores the dynamic response of nonstructural elements attached on multistory buildings with well‐established floor diaphragm action. Depending on the type of support conditions, seismic response of nonstructural components may be controlled either by acceleration or displacement: Nonstructural components that are subjected to uniform support excitation are controlled primarily by the absolute spectral acceleration developing at their point of attachment on the supporting building. On the contrary, seismic response of multiply supported nonstructural components depends primarily on the relative displacements between successive support points that are imposed by the supporting building during lateral sway. These findings are illustrated from the analytical formulation and its solution through time history analysis of the governing dynamic equation of motion of the primary and secondary components of a system modeled using finite elements. The model encompasses the assembly of a multistory building along with a multiply supported gas pipeline network. It is shown that the dependence of the seismic response of nonstructural components may be linked to the deformed shape of the supporting building at the state of its maximum lateral roof displacement, thereby enabling the definition of design procedures for these systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

可口革囊星虫Phasolosma esculenta体腔液的抗菌活性研究

可口革囊星虫Phasolosma esculenta为我国特有的一种可食用海洋经济动物。本文以可口革囊星虫为研究对象,利用琼脂径向扩散、涂板计数等方法研究其体腔液中物质的抗菌活性以及理化特性。研究结果表明,可口革囊星虫体腔液中存在抗菌活性物质,并且该物质对金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus等3种革兰氏阳性细菌具有明显的抗菌效果,但对大肠杆菌Escherichia coli等3种革兰氏阴性细菌以及葡萄牙假丝酵母Candida lusitaniae抗菌效果不明显。结果还发现:(1)不同提取方式出现明显不同的抗菌效果,与体腔液上清液和2%乙酸提取体腔液所得提取物的抗菌效果相比,超声破碎处理提取物的抗菌效果最为明显。(2)理化特性研究发现该抗菌物质抗菌效力持久,抗冻融,并且在5~30 ℃范围内最适抗菌温度约为25 ℃;该物质不耐高温,60 ℃处理10 min后该物质的抗菌作用完全消失;此外,该物质的抗菌作用不依赖金属离子的存在。(3)超滤管过滤截留琼脂扩散结果表明该抗菌物质的分子量在100 kDa以上。     

Simulation of the impacts of diagenesis or low-grade metamorphism on neutrophilic microaerobic Fe(II)-oxidizing biofilm

The microaerobic iron-oxidizing bacteria in circumneutral environment produce extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)with unique morphologic features,such as stalks or sheaths,which can be regarded as geobiological signatures.The Archean and early Palaeoproterozoic oceans were anoxic with high soluble Fe(II)that were suggested to have been oxidized through the metabolism of Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria.The precursor of the ultrafine hematite in banded iron formation(BIF),e.g.,ferrihydrite,was suggested to be the mineral record of microbial Fe(II)-oxidation at that time.However,both the biological materials and primary iron minerals were prone to being altered by diagenetic or low-grade metamorphic processes.This makes it difficult to interpret the genesis of Precambrian BIFs.Here,we report experimental simulation on the effects of diagenesis or low-grade metamorphism on neutrophilic microaerobic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria and their biomass.Stalks,sheaths,and iron oxide spheroidal aggregates are partially preserved after the 100 MPa/300°C treatments,which indicates the mixed organic matters and iron oxides could survive the diagenetic or low-grade metamorphic processes.Some organic-mineral mixing structures carry information on microbial processes,though they appear similar to pseudomorphs of fossilized bacteria.     

基于微观力学特性的脆性岩石变形过程模拟

为了建立能够描述岩石宏观变形及其组成部分的变形模拟方法,考虑微缺陷的不均匀性对岩石宏观变形产生的影响,将岩石视为由空隙部分材料和骨架部分材料两部分组成。首先,基于岩石各组成部分材料变形分析,利用真应变描述方法及非线性变形的特点建立空隙部分材料的变形力学分析方法,同时,引入统计损伤以及固体力学理论建立骨架部分材料的变形力学分析方法。然后,通过岩石及其组成部分的变形力学分析建立岩石宏观变形力学分析方法,从而获得能够模拟岩石变形破坏全过程的统计损伤本构模型,并给出了模型参数的确定方法。最后,将文中模型与既有模型的理论曲线与试验曲线进行了对比分析,且基于文中模型对岩石及其组成部分变形进行了讨论。研究结果表明：文中模型不仅能反映既有模型所描述的主要变形特征,还能克服其难以较好地反映初期宏观变形非线性的不足;同时,该模型还能描述岩石组成部分的变形过程,不仅揭示了岩石宏观变形与其组成部分变形之间的关系,也揭示了空隙部分材料变形是引起岩石宏观变形非线性的根本原因。表明本文模型与方法具有一定的合理性与优越性。