Arsenic fixation on iron-hydroxide-rich and plant litter-containing sediments in natural environments

Iron-hydroxide-rich and plant litter-containing sediments from natural sites contaminated with uranium mine tailing leachates were examined for their ability to adsorb arsenic. The samples with high contents of iron hydroxides (Fe_total concentration, >300 g kg⁻¹) exhibited remarkable fixation of arsenic (up to 40 g As kg⁻¹). This value corresponded approximately to the supersaturation point for natural iron hydroxides under the present conditions, and it was significantly lower than the value found for synthetic iron hydroxides. There was a strong correlation (R=0.8999) between the concentration of iron and that of arsenic at low arsenic contents, indicating adsorption on strong binding sites. Although all the samples had noticeable contents of organic carbon (plant litter), calcium, and manganese, no obvious effect of these elements on arsenic fixation could be detected. The amount of iron hydroxides was found the only fixation-controlling parameter immediately below a leaching water source.     

Neutral Points at the Cometary Diamagnetic Cavity Boundary as Possible Source of Cometary Rays

The point source of neutral gas undergoing ionization and expanding into an uniform magnetic field is considered. Friction between the neutral and ionized particles results in the formation of the magnetic field barrier and diamagnetic cavity surrounding the source. At least one neutral point inevitably arises at the boundary of the cavity. When the neutral gas production rate grows, two neutral points may arise at this boundary. In the vicinity of these points magnetic field lines converge, along with the plasma flow which is magnetic field aligned in the steady state. As a result, two plasma jets originate from the neutral points. Possible relation of these jets to cometary rays is discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

多滞后中立型非线性控制系统的镇定

应用Lyapunov等价法讨论了多滞后中立型非线性定常控制系统与不带滞后的线性定常控制系统的镇定问题.应用Lyapunov稳定性理论与Krosovskii最大最小特征值定理,得到了多滞后中立型非线性定常控制系统渐近稳定的结论,该结论是对前人结果的进一步扩展,并在非线性项的限制下给出了时滞的界限.最后,将上述结论推广到了多滞后中立型非线性时变控制系统.     

Selection of scale can reverse the importance of stochastic controls on community assembly

Reconciling the long-standing debate on the importance of niche-related and neutral factors on community assembly, recent research suggests that both deterministic and stochastic processes operate simultaneously along a continuum in many biogeographical systems. In particular, stochastic processes seem to lose importance under stressful conditions, which results in the increasing influence of deterministic counterparts. In this paper, I show that, at local scales, this stochasticity–stress relationship can be reversed along the environmental stress gradients within a salt marsh: stochasticity manifested under harshness. Here, low-lying, more stressful sites contained all of the plant species of the local pool (i.e. a greater chance of ecological drift), whereas high-elevation, less stressful sites exhibited reduced species richness due to competitive exclusion (i.e. a lower chance of ecological drift). I conclude that determining whether the importance of stochasticity in shaping community structure is greater under benign or harsh conditions depends on the scale of interest.     

不确定中立型变时滞系统基于状态观测器的滑模控制

本文讨论了不确定中立型变时滞系统的滑模控制问题。首先,为了估计所要研究的不确定中立型系统的状态,构造了一个状态观测器,并设计了滑模控制律,以保证切换面的有限时间可达性。其次,基于Laypunov-Krasovskii泛函法以及线性矩阵不等式(LMI)等方法,给出了误差系统和滑模动力方程的渐近稳定性判据。最后,给出了一个数值算例说明了文本结果的有效性和可行性。     

Intraspecific Diversity of Aureobasidium pullulans Strains from Different Marine Environments

Totally more than 500 yeast strains were isolated from seawater, sea sediments, mud of sea salterns, marine fish guts and marine algae. The results of routine and molecular biology identification methods show that nine strains among these marine yeasts belong to Aureobasidium pullulans, although the morphologies of their colonies are very different. The marine yeasts isolated from different marine environments indicate that A. pullulans is widely distributed in different environmental conditions. These Aureobasidium pullulans strains include A. pullulans 4#2, A. pullulans N13d, A. pullulans HN3-11, A. pullulans HN2-3, A. pullulans JHSc,A. pullulans HN4.7, A. pullulans HN5.3, A. pullulans HN6.2 and A. pullulans W13a. A. pullulans 4#2 could produce cellulase and single cell protein. A. pullulans N13d could produce protease, lipase, amylase and cellulase. Both A. pullulans HN3-11 and A. pullulans HN2-3 were able to produce protease, lipase and cellulase. A. pullulans JHSc could secrete cellulase and killer toxin. Both A.pullulans HN4.7 and A. pullulans HN5.3 could yield lipase and cellulase. A. pullulans W13a was able to secrete extracellular amylase and cellulase while A. pullulans HN4.7 and A. pullulans N13d could produce siderophores. This means that different A. pullulans strains from different marine environments have different physiological characteristics, which may be applied in many different biotechnological industries.     

Immunotoxicity Effect of Benzo[α]Pyrene on Scallop Chlamys farreri

The toxic effects of benzo[α]pyrene (B[α]P) at different concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 7.5 ugL-1) on scallop (Chla-mys farreri) immune system were studied. The results showed that B[a]P had significant toxic effects on the haemocyte counts, neu-tral red uptake, phagocytosis, bacteriolytic and antibacterial activity (P<0.05), while the seawater control and acetone control had no significant differences. The haemocyte counts, neutral red uptake, phagocytosis and bacteriolvtic activity in all B[α]P treatment groups as well as antibacterial activity, in groups of 0.5, 1, 2.5 and 7.5 ugL-1 B[α]P decreased significantly (P<0.05). Some of these indices tended to be stable on the sixth day and others on the ninth day, and the indices showed clear time- and concentra-tion-response to B[α]P. Bacteriolytic activity in 0.1ugL-1 B[α]P treatment group and antibacterial activity in 0.1 ugL-1 and 0.5 ugL-1 B[α]P treatment groups increased at the beginning of exposure and reached their peaks on day 1 and day 6, respectively. Following that, both activities decreased gradually and became stable after day 9. When all the indices reached stability, they were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05), except for antibacterial activity in 0.1 ugL-1 B[α]P treatment group (P<0.05). Thus, B[α]P has evident toxic effects on scallop immune system, which supports the view that a relationship exists between pollution and immu-nomodulation in aquatic organisms.     

On the origin of transient effects in the solar neutrino experiment

Correlation studies of the pattern of time variation of the recorded solar neutrino flux monitored through the reaction Cl³⁷ → Ar³⁷ with various parameters of solar activity is suggestive of possible emission of a penetrating neutral particle from the sun influencing directly or indirectly the transformation Cl³⁷ → Ar³⁷ deep underground at the required rates. This possibility has to be invoked in view of the difficulties in generating the observed pattern of variations through a large modulatory mechanism involving the electron neutrino. The prediction that follows is the possible existence of a time varying component (diurnal) in the rate of some nuclear transmutations deep underground caused by an unknown neutral radiation having an interaction cross section with matter probably much larger than the canonical value of 10^-36 cm² per nucleon speculated upon by some authors in the WIMP scenario for the sun.     

海洋细菌HW08的鉴定及其所产低温碱性蛋白酶Ps5的分离纯化

由黄海底泥分离得到1株能够稳定高产蛋白酶的菌株,命名为HW08.对该菌株进行形态特征、生理生化分析表明,其为革兰氏阴性杆菌,极生单鞭毛,非发酵型,严格需氧,细胞内不积累多羟基丁酸作为储藏碳源,氧化酶阴性.将该菌16S rDNA序列(GenBank登录号FJ999660)和假单胞菌属中模式菌株16S rDNA序列进行比对...