The BIMA Survey of Nearby Galaxies (BIMA SONG)

BIMA SONG is a systematic imaging study of the 3 mm CO J = 1 → 0molecular emission within the centres and discs of 44 nearby spiral galaxies on size scales of a few hundred parsecs (6-9"). The overall goal of the survey is to study the role of molecular gas in the evolution of spiral galaxies. To this end, BIMA SONG addresses 1) the distribution and physical conditions of the molecular gas in galactic discs and its relation to star formation, 2) the effects of a stellar bar on the kinematics of molecular gas, including the possible inflow of gas along a bar, and 3) the distribution and role of molecular gas in the central few hundred parsecs of active and quiescent galaxies. The source list includes all (except M33and M31) 44 galaxies of Hubble types Sa–Sd, with declinations δ >−20^°, visual magnitudes B < 11.0, velocities v _hel <2000 km s^-1, and inclinations i < 70^°. Beyond the specific scientific questions we will address, this survey will provide a unique database for astronomers who study galaxies at all wavelengths. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Isolation of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria from bilge oil contaminated water

Two bacterial strains, i.e. Pseudomonas mendocina and Ochrobactrum sp. were isolated from bilge oil contaminated water of Mormugao harbour, Goa, India and grown in a culture medium with hexadecane as the sole carbon source. Pseudomonas mendocina was used in further studies as it was the dominant strain. This strain effectively degraded tetradecane, hexadecane and octadecane leaving a residual concentration of about 73 %, 54 % and 40 % respectively in 120 h. Sequence analysis of the dominant bands from the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles revealed the differences between the genera of bilge oil contaminated sea water and its enrichment culture on hexadecane indicating a shift in community structure based on the type of substrate available. Pseudomonas mendocina amplified for the following catabolic genes namely C23O, nid and ndo. Based on the catabolic gene study the potential of the bacterial strain isolated, i.e. Pseudomonas mendocina seems to be interesting as it will be able to degrade polyaromatic hydrocarbons as well. Physicochemical properties of Pseudomonas mendocina indicates production of exopolysaccharides based on the value of its isoelectric point.     

Characterization of soil organic carbon in drained thaw-lake basins of Arctic Alaska using NMR and FTIR photoacoustic spectroscopy

Arctic soils contain a large fraction of Earth’s stored carbon. Temperature increases in the Arctic may enhance decomposition of this stored carbon, shifting the role of Arctic soils from a net sink to a new source of atmospheric CO₂. Predicting the impact of Arctic warming on soil carbon reserves requires knowledge of the composition of the stored organic matter. Here, we employ solid state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared-photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) to investigate the chemical composition of soil organic matter collected from drained thaw-lake basins ranging in age from 0 to 5500 years before present (y BP). The ¹³C NMR and FTIR-PAS data were largely congruent. Surface horizons contain relatively large amounts of O-alkyl carbon, suggesting that the soil organic matter is rich in labile constituents. Soil organic matter decreases with depth with the relative amounts of O-alkyl carbon decreasing and aromatic carbon increasing. These data indicate that lower horizons are in a more advanced stage of decomposition than upper horizons. Nonetheless, a substantial fraction of carbon in lower horizons, even for ancient thaw-lake basins (2000-5500 y BP), is present as O-alkyl carbon reflecting the preservation of intrinsically labile organic matter constituents. Climate change-induced increases in the depth of the soil active layer are expected to accelerate the depletion of this carbon.