Cosmosperma polyloba gen. et sp. nov., a seed plant from the Upper Devonian of South China

Seed plants with ovules were abundant in the Late Devonian of Euramerica and they contribute significantly to our understanding of their early history. However, coeval ovules have been scarce in other regions of the world. Specimens of the seed plant Cosmosperma polyloba gen. et sp. nov. Wang et al. were recently obtained from the Upper Devonian (Famennian) Wutong Formation, at Fanwan Village, Changxing County, Zhejiang Province, China. This new seed plant has cupulate ovules, the uniovulate cupules with up to 16 distal segments and with minute spines on the outer surface, synangiate pollen organs bearing six to eight microsporangia fused only at the base, and planate and highly dissected pinnules in alternate arrangement. It differs from other Devonian seed plants mainly in the organization and position of the uniovulate and ornamented cupule, and in the highly dissected pinnules. Cosmosperma Wang et al. represents the first Devonian ovules recovered from China or eastern Asia and further illustrates the diversity of early spermatophytes. As for the Late Devonian seed plants, it is suggested that the pollen organs are synangiate and simple in organization, and the branches and leaves are generally planate.     

A new bolosaurid parareptile, Belebey chengi sp. nov., from the Middle Permian of China and its paleogeographic significance

A new bolosaurid parareptile, Belebey chengi sp. nov., is described from Dashankou, Gansu Province, China, a Middle Permian locality which is known mostly for its therapsid fauna. The material consists of well-preserved mandibular and anterior skull remains and currently represents the largest and latest surviving member of Bolosauridae. Phylogenetic analysis of bolosaurid interrelationships, the first analysis of any clade of Early Permian parareptiles, indicates that the new taxon groups consistently with the other (Russian) members of the genus Belebey, and forms the sister clade to the genus Bolosaurus from North America. The Early Permian Eudibamus cursoris from Germany falls into the basal most position within Bolosauridae. Our analysis also shows that the split between the main bolosaurid lineages must have occurred near or before the Permo-Carboniferous boundary and that the paleo-equatorial region of Laurasia probably served as the center of origination for these parareptiles. A similar pattern can be found in other clades of Paleozoic amniotes, suggesting that this may be the general trend in early amniote evolution.     

A new marine reptile from the Triassic of China,with a highly specialized feeding adaptation

The Luoping fauna (Anisian, Middle Triassic) is probably the oldest of Triassic faunas in Guizhou–Yunnan area, China. The reptilian assemblage is comprised of ichthyosaurs, a number of sauropterygians (pachypleurosaur-like forms), saurosphargids, protorosaurs, and archosauriforms. Here, we report on a peculiar reptile, newly found in this fauna. Its dentition is fence or comb-like and bears more than 175 pleurodont teeth in each ramus of the upper and lower jaws, tooth crown is needle-like distally and blade-shaped proximally; its rostrum strongly bends downward and the anterior end of its mandible expands both dorsally and ventrally to form a shovel-headed structure; and its ungual phalanges are hoof-shaped. The specializations of the jaws and dentition indicate that the reptile may have been adapted to a way of bottom-filter feeding in water. It is obvious that such delicate teeth are not strong enough to catch prey, but were probably used as a barrier to filter microorganisms or benthic invertebrates such as sea worms. These were collected by the specialized jaws, which may have functioned as a shovel or pushdozer (the mandible) and a grasper or scratcher (the rostrum). Our preliminary analysis suggests that the new reptile might be more closely related to the Sauropterygia than to other marine reptiles.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bonitasaura salgadoi</Emphasis> gen. et sp. nov.: a beaked sauropod from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia

Ornithischian and theropod dinosaurs were morphologically diverse during the Cretaceous. In contrast, sauropods were relatively more conservative. The anatomy of Bonitasaura salgadoi, a new 9-m titanosaurian sauropod from Upper Cretaceous beds of Patagonia, suggests that sauropod anatomical diversity would have included unexpected items. Its unusual, rectangular lower jaw possesses narrow, anteriorly restricted teeth and shows evidence of a sharp keratinous sheath over the non-dentigerous region that probably worked to guillotine plant material. This discovery definitely demonstrates that titanosaurs acquired a mandibular configuration similar to that of some basal diplodocoids, as had already been suggested by the lower jaw of the controversial genus Antarctosaurus. This oral configuration, plus the beak-like structure and the skull shape, resemble some traits more commonly seen in Laurasian ornithischians, mostly unexpressed in southern continents. A high sauropod morphological diversity seems to be in agreement with the poorly represented ornithischian clades of the southern hemisphere.Communicated by G. Mayr     

Uptake of radioiodide by Paenibacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Burkholderia sp. and Rhodococcus sp. isolated from a boreal nutrient-poor bog

Radionuclides, like radioiodine(~(129)I), may escape deep geological nuclear waste repositories and migrate to the surface ecosystems. In surface ecosystems, microorganisms can affect their movement. Iodide uptake of six bacterial strains belonging to the genera Paenibacillus,Pseudomonas, Burkholderia and Rhodococcus isolated from an acidic boreal nutrient-poor bog was tested. The tests were run in four different growth media at three temperatures. All bacterial strains removed iodide from the solution with the highest efficiency shown by one of the Paenibacillus strains with 99% of iodide removed from the solution in one of the used growth media. Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and one of the two Paenibacillus strains showed highest iodide uptake in 1% yeast extract with maximum values for the distribution coefficient(K_d) ranging from 90 to 270 L/kg DW. The Burkholderia strain showed highest uptake in 1% Tryptone(maximum K_d170 L/kg DW). The Paenibacillus strain V0-1-LW showed exceptionally high uptake in 0.5% peptone + 0.25% yeast extract broth(maximum K_d 1,000,000 L/kg DW). Addition of 0.1% glucose to the 0.5% peptone + 0.25% yeast extract broth reduced iodide uptake at 4℃ and 20℃ and enhanced iodide uptake at 37℃ compared to the uptake without glucose. This indicates that the uptake of glucose and iodide may be competing processes in these bacteria. We estimated that in in situ conditions of the bog,the bacterial uptake of iodide accounts for approximately 0.1%–0.3% of the total sorption of iodide in the surface, subsurface peat, gyttja and clay layers.     

虫草头孢菌发酵废液成分分析及其再利用

利用高效液相色谱法、氨基酸自动分析法和分光光谱法对虫草头抱菌发酵液成分进行了测定和分析,发现内含多种营养成分,完全有可能再次利用．用由该发酵液经加热、加活性炭和中药添加剂处理制备而成的组合培养液来培养哈茨木霉,具有产孢量高、培养成本低的优点．试验还发现,以组合培养液和麦麸为主要成分的新型固体培养基完全可以代替纯麦麸培养基．     

A new Early Oligocene peradectine marsupial (Mammalia)from the Burqin region of Xinjiang,China

Tertiary marsupial records are very scarce in Asia. A new peradectine marsupial, Junggaroperadectes burqinensis gen. et sp. nov., is reported from the Early Oligocene Keziletuogayi Formation in the Burqin region, Xinjiang, China. This new species is based on a single right upper M2. The tooth possesses a straight centrocrista, a characteristic of peradectines. Its main cusps lean buccally, with the paracone being smaller and lower than the metacone. The conules and stylar cusps are weakly developed. These characters distinguish J. burqinensis from Euro-American Tertiary peradectines, but they also imply a close phylogenetic relationship to Siamoperadectes and Sinoperadectes, two Asian Early Miocene peradectines.     

A new maniraptoran dinosaur from China with long feathers on the metatarsus

The unusual presence of long pennaceous feathers on the feet of basal dromaeosaurid dinosaurs has recently been presented as strong evidence in support of the arboreal–gliding hypothesis for the origin of bird flight, but it could be a unique feature of dromaeosaurids and thus irrelevant to the theropod–bird transition. Here, we report a new eumaniraptoran theropod from China, with avian affinities, which also has long pennaceous feathers on its feet. This suggests that such morphology might represent a primitive adaptation close to the theropod–bird transition. The long metatarsus feathers are likely primitive for Eumaniraptora and might have played an important role in the origin of avian flight.Electronic Supplementary Material  Supplementary material is available for this article at     

碳酸盐与磷酸盐对Biohydrogenbacterium R3sp.nov.产氢发酵效能的影响

采用NH4HCO3、NaHCO3、Na2CO3、K2HPO4、KH2HPO4、NaH2PO4和Na2HPO4作为碳酸盐和磷酸盐缓冲溶液源,研究其对Biohydrogenbacterium R3 sp.nov.产氢发酵效能的影响.研究发现,碳酸盐对Biohydrogenbacterium R3 sp.nov.反应体系中的pH值都具有较好的缓冲作用,而磷酸盐的添加对其产氢效能的促进作用较明显.反应器内添加了Na2HPO4与K2HPO4的Biohydrogenbacterium R3 sp.nov.的氢气产量与氢气含量达到最高值,分别为1978.56 mL、44.1％与2160.9 mL、45.8％,此时反应器内的pH值分别为3.28和3.41,细胞浓度分别为1.03 g·L-1和1.21 g·L-1,添加了Na2HPO4的Biohydrogenbacterium R3 sp.nov.的乙醇和乙酸产量分别为4841.49 mg·L-1和2064.94 mg·L-1;而添加了Na2CO3的氢气产量、氢气含量、细胞浓度与反应器内pH值分别为1064.42 mL、35.96％、1.23 g·L-1与3.81,此时乙醇、乙酸的产量分别为3862.21 mg·L-1和1930.86 mg·L-1.     

Comment on "Removal of heavy metals from aqueous solution by carbon nanotubes: adsorption equilibrium and kinetics" by Li, Y. H., Di, Z.C., Luan, Z.K., Ding, J., Zuo, H., Wu, X.Q., Xu, C.L. and Wu, D.H.

Recently, Li et al. (Li, 2004 ) published the paper entitled as above. In section 2.2: Adsorption kinetics,authors mentioned three kinetic models, the first-order rate equation, pseudo-second-order rate equation, and secondorder rate equation citing a secondary reference (Benguella,2002). However, there are mistakes occurred in this reference(Ho,2004a).     

Arsenic redox transformation by Pseudomonas sp. HN-2 isolated from arsenic-contaminated soil in Hunan, China

A mesophilic,Gram-negative,arsenite[As(Ⅲ)]-oxidizing and arsenate[As(V)]-reducing bacterial strain,Pseudomonas sp.HN-2,was isolated from an As-contaminated soil.Phylogenetic analysis based on 16 S r RNA gene sequencing indicated that the strain was closely related to Pseudomonas stutzeri.Under aerobic conditions,this strain oxidized 92.0%(61.4 μmol/L) of arsenite to arsenate within 3 hr of incubation.Reduction of As(V) to As(Ⅲ) occurred in anoxic conditions.Pseudomonas sp.HN-2 is among the first soil bacteria shown to be capable of both aerobic As(Ⅲ) oxidation and anoxic As(V) reduction.The strain,as an efficient As(Ⅲ) oxidizer and As(V) reducer in Pseudomonas,has the potential to impact arsenic mobility in both anoxic and aerobic environments,and has potential application in As remediation processes.     

1株红树林外硫红螺菌的分离鉴定及其特性

目前,国内针对沙氏外硫红螺菌的研究鲜见报道。为了挖掘功能光合细菌新菌源,从茂名水东湾红树林潮间带泥样分离到1株能以硫化物作为电子供体营光合自养作用的紫色光合细菌HBL-1。根据菌株的形态、细胞色素光吸收特征及自动微生物鉴定系统检测的碳源利用结果,结合系统发育分析,鉴定该菌为沙氏外硫红螺菌(Ectothiorhodospira shaposhnikovii)。该菌培养条件粗放,尤其在偏碱性、含盐、光照微氧条件下生长最快;该菌能耐受较高浓度的Na_2S,在Na_2S初始浓度为227.6 mg/L时,培养6 d后,Na_2S转化率达到66.9%。结果表明该菌在水质净化方面显示较好的应用前景。     

从理论到实践的美国排污交易

阐述了排污交易产生的背景，排污权与排放许可证的概念，ＴＤＰ的理论研究和实践应用，排污交易政策在美国的发展等。美国的排污交易政策由补偿政策、气泡政策、净得政策和排污银行４项组成，以美国酸雨计划为例说明了排污交易的巨大环境经济效益，并给出了建议。     

New material of the enigmatic reptile Khurendukhosaurus (Diapsida: Choristodera) from Mongolia

New material of the enigmatic diapsid Khurendukhosaurus is described from the Mongolian type locality, Khuren Dukh, providing additional data on the vertebral column, pelvis, and hind limb. It confirms the choristoderan status of the genus and permits a more detailed phylogenetic analysis that supports a relationship between Khurendukhosaurus and the long-necked Asian Hyphalosauridae. The existence of tall caudal neural spines implies that Khurendukhosaurus was a deep-tailed swimmer. This and the open sacral costocentral sutures suggest a primarily aquatic lifestyle. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Institutional abbreviations  MNHN BL, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; MPC, Mongolian Paleontological Center; PIN, Paleontologicheski Institut, Akademii Nauk, Moscow; HMNS, Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences, Okayama, Japan.