Movement of oxybiotic and thiobiotic meiofauna in response to changes in pore-water oxygen and sulfide gradients around macro-infaunal tubes

The effects of changes in vertical and horizontal microscale gradients of oxygen and sulfide on meiofaunal distributions were examined in laboratory microcosms. Specifically, the effect of tube abandonment and reestablishment by macro-infauna on the distribution of subsurface turbellarians, gnathostomulids and gastrotrichs was studied. Meiofauna responded rapidly (within 6 h) to changing sediment chemistry, consistently trying to reoccupy optimal habitat. Every subsurface taxon had a preferred suboptimal habitat which it occupied primarily during transit from deteriorating to newly established optimal habitat. Only during this time did the distribution of ecologically similar taxa overlap substantially. Changes in oxygen and sulfide gradients could explain most but not all of the response; food availability might also be important. Oxybios consistently chose oxic suboptimal microhabitat. Thus behaviorally, as well as biochemically and ecologically, thiobios represent a distinct group among the meiofauna.     

Acclimation of the European sea bass to freshwater: monitoring genetic changes by RAPD polymerase chain reaction to detect DNA polymorphisms

We investigated the use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the associated random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique to study variation in samples of the sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, before and after acclimation to freshwater. Acclimation trials were repeated twice, in 1989 and 1990, for two samples originating from the same broodstock (individuals from different localities along the Italian coasts), with overall mortality rates averaging 94 and 75% in the 2 yr, respectively. Analyses are based on 126 polymorphic RAPD markers, scored in at least 39 individuals for each of the starting and acclimated samples in both years. Analysis of RAPD patterns revealed high levels of DNA polymorphism in both 1989 and 1990 starting samples. The acclimated samples maintained similar polymorphism levels. Shifts in marker frequencies between starting and acclimated samples occurred in both years. A correspondence analysis carried out on multimarker individual profiles suggests that the two starting samples resulted from uneven sampling of the same heterogenous broodstock. This analysis clearly separates RAPD phenotypes from starting and acclimated samples in both years and identifies the RAPD markers responsible for such displacement. Patterns of RAPD variation are compared with previous allozymic studies carried out on the same samples. A major difference between the two studies was the number of markers available. Fewer allozyme loci were studied than were RAPD markers. The cause of repeated shifts for allozyme alleles in replicate experiments were almost certainly due to selection, while statistical chance could explain the repeated shift of only one out of more than 100 RAPD markers. We have shown that RAPD analysis, if carried out carefully, is quite reproducible and sensitive enough to reveal high levels of variation among individuals from the same broodstock. A major drawback of this approach is the still unclear inheritance patterns of RAPD polymorphisms. The use of multivariate analyses is suggested as a possible alternative to traditional population genetics techniques to analyze patterns of variation in the absence of a precise genetic interpretation.     

Chromium uptake by rice and accumulation in soil amended with municipal solid waste compost

Effect of addition of municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) on chromium (Cr) content of submerged rice paddies was studied. Experiments were conducted during the three consecutive wet seasons from 1997 to 1999 on rice grown under submergence, at the Experimental Farm of Calcutta University, India. A sequential extraction method was used to determine the various chromium fractions in MSWC and cow dung manure (CDM). Chromium was significantly bound to the organic matter and Fe and Mn oxides in MSWC and CDM. Chromium content in rice straw was higher than in rice grain. Chromium bound with organic matter in MSWC best correlated with straw Cr (r=0.99**) followed by Fe and Mn oxides (r=0.97*) and water soluble as well as exchangeable fractions (r=0.96*). The water soluble and the exchangeable fractions in MSWC best correlated with grain Cr (r=0.98*). The Cr content of rice grain had the highest correlation with water soluble and exchangeable Cr (r=0.99**) while the straw Cr best correlated with the Fe and Mn oxides (r=0.98*). Both the carbonate bound and residual fractions in MSWC and CDM did not significantly correlate with rice straw and grain Cr. MSWC would be a valuable resource for agriculture if it can be used safely, but long-term use may require the cessation of the dumping by the leather tanneries and other major contributors of pollutants.     

Yield and nutritive quality of sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) exposed to ground-level ozone

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata cv. Interstate 76) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium cv. Aldous) were raised from seed in a glasshouse, transplanted into 5.7-l pots and placed into open-top chambers (OTC) on 6 June 1999. Following a 7-day adjustment period, each of six OTCs (duplicate OTCs per treatment) was ventilated with either air that had been carbon-filtered (CF) to remove ambient ozone (O3); non-filtered (NF), representative of ambient air; or enriched to twice-ambient O3 concentration (2X). Primary-growth forage was harvested on days 7, 32, 46, 59 and 72 following the start of fumigation, and regrowth forage from the first primary-growth harvest was harvested on days 36, 54 and 72 following the start of fumigation. Dry matter (DM) yield of either forage species did not differ among treatments except in the final regrowth period when yield of sericea lespedeza was greater for the NF than 2X O3 treatment. In vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) and concentrations of crude protein (CP), soluble phenolics (SP) and condensed tannins (CT) in primary-growth sericea lespedeza did not differ between treatments, but NF primary-growth forage had higher concentration of protein-precipitating tannins (PPT) than did 2X primary-growth forage. Concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were higher in NF and 2X than in CF primary-growth sericea lespedeza. Similarly, concentrations of NDF and ADL were higher, and IVDMD was lower for NF and 2X than for CF regrowth sericea lespedeza. Concentrations of ADF and ADL were lower, whereas IVDMD, in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD) and concentrations of CP and SP were greater, in CF than in NF and 2X primary-growth little bluestem. Percentages IVDMD and IVNDFD and concentrations of CP and SP in NF primary-growth little bluestem were greater than those in forage exposed to 2X O3 treatment. No significant differences were observed among treatments in percentages IVDMD and IVNDFD, or concentrations of cell wall constituents or SP in little bluestem regrowth. Nutritive quality of little bluestem was decreased by < 2%, and that of sericea lespedeza by approximately 7% as a result of increased concentrations of cell wall constituents and decreased in vitro digestibility of NF and 2X compared with CF forages. Results indicate that existing and projected O3 levels can drive alterations in forage quality of select warm-season forages sufficient to have nutritional and economic implications for their utilization by ruminant herbivores.     

Phylogenetic relationships within the class holothuroidea,inferred from 18S rRNA gene data

This molecular phylogenetic analysis of 18S ribosomal RNA (18SrDNA) gene sequences from 16 species of holothuroid, suggests strong support for an alternative taxonomic scheme to replace the existing classification. When trees drawn from the 18S rDNA data were constrained to show expected relationships between the holothourid orders, they were significantly worse than the best tree under SH tests. These analyses indicated strongly that the subclass Aspidochirotacea is paraphyletic. Sequences from the order Dendrochirotida grouped with aspidochiroitid sequences, with high bootstrap support, to the exclusion of the elasipod sequence. In line with recent morphological studies the order Apodida were a basal sister group to the other three holothuroid orders examined and the Dendrochirotida was a derived holothuroid order. Brendan F. Keegan, Richard Powell: R.I.P     

荒漠植物红砂研究进展

主要综述了荒漠植物红砂的分布区及其生境、解剖学特征、种子萌发及幼苗生长影响因素、组织培养、生理生态特征、繁殖及育苗、分子生物学特性等方面的研究。简要阐述了修复和重建红砂植被的必要性,并着重研究了红砂种子萌发的影响因素及育苗技术的发展现状,在此基础上指出红砂研究中的不足之处,并对今后的研究方向提出了建议。     

Survey of Airborne 2,4-D in South-Central Washington

The extensive application of 2,4-D herbicides to wheat and other agricultural crops in the states of Washington and Oregon can produce "off-target" damage when the 2,4-D formulations are transported by the atmosphere to sensitive crops, such as grapes. During May-June of 1973 and April-June of 1974, a 2,4-D monitoring network in south-central Washington collected samples for subsequent herbicide analysis. The daily, 24 hr field samples were collected with differential Impactor-impinger air samplers and were routinely analyzed in the analytical laboratory by electron-capture gas chromatography. In addition, gas chromatography/mass spec-trometry was employed for positive identification of the 2,4-D esters and for comparative quantitative analysis. The complete sampling and analytical methodology, the 2,4-D concentration data for 1973 and 1974, the agricultural 2,4-D application records and crop Injury reports, and the concomitant meteorological data are described in this paper.     

Changes of carbon,nitrogen, phosphorous,and potassium content during storage of vermicomposts prepared from different substrates

The study was conducted to determine the optimum storage time for vermicompost without significant loss of nutrients; nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). Cattle manure, paddy straw, municipal solid wastes, and fly ash were used for vermicompost preparations. The dynamics of N, P, and K in the vermicomposts were studied during 180 days of incubation at 28–32 °C. In general, N concentration increased in the first 90–105 days of incubation and then gradually decreased until the 180th day while P and K concentrations steadily decreased over the length of the study, with the rate of loss leveling off after 150 days. The rate of nutrient loss was directly related to the initial level, decreasing the fastest for the nutrients with the highest initial concentrations. Optimum storage times were substrate and N dependent.     

局部断层场地对平面SV波的散射

借助Wolf的土层和半空间精确动力刚度矩阵及斜线荷载的格林函数,利用间接边界元法在频域内求解了局部断层场地对SV波的散射,着重分析了破碎带较窄断层两侧围岩动力响应的基本规律,以及场地动力特性对散射的影响.研究表明,破碎带断层对SV波有显著的影响,即使破碎带很窄,也可以对SV波产生很大的放大作用;层状场地的动力特性对放大作用有显著的影响.     

国外有机市政固废批处理厌氧消化工艺介绍

批处理厌氧消化工艺是厌氧处理技术的一种,其通过序批式进料、连续式操作的设计,可简化物料的预处理工序和厌氧发酵过程控制,从而达到降低投资成本及运营费用的目的,使其相对其他固废厌氧处理技术形成优势。调整厌氧渗滤液回收循环方式及批处理反应器的数量,可形成一系列改进后的批处理工艺,包括序批式和阶段式的批处理系统。有机市政固废经厌氧消化后,不仅可以减量化及稳定化,而且还可以获取能源及回收有用物质。文章对目前国外主要的有机固废批处理厌氧消化工艺进行了分析,并针对国内的固废特征给出了建议。