Changes of movement patterns from early dispersal to settlement

Moving and spatial learning are two intertwined processes: (a) changes in movement behavior determine the learning of the spatial environment, and (b) information plays a crucial role in several animal decision-making processes like movement decisions. A useful way to explore the interactions between movement decisions and learning of the spatial environment is by comparing individual behaviors during the different phases of natal dispersal (when individuals move across more or less unknown habitats) with movements and choices of breeders (who repeatedly move within fixed home ranges), that is, by comparing behaviors between individuals who are still acquiring information vs. individuals with a more complete knowledge of their surroundings. When analyzing movement patterns of eagle owls, Bubo bubo, belonging to three status classes (floaters wandering across unknown environments, floaters already settled in temporary settlement areas, and territory owners with a well-established home range), we found that: (1) wandering individuals move faster than when established in a more stable or fixed settlement area, traveling larger and straighter paths with longer move steps; and (2) when floaters settle in a permanent area, then they show movement behavior similar to territory owners. Thus, movement patterns show a transition from exploratory strategies, when animals have incomplete environmental information, to a more familiar way to exploit their activity areas as they get to know the environment better.     

Quinone-mediated decolorization of sulfonated azo dyes by cells and cellextracts from Sphingomonas xenophaga

The effects of various quinone compounds on the decolorization rates of sulfonated azo dyes by Sphingomonas xenophaga QYY were investigated. The results showed that anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS) was the most effective redox mediator and AQS reduction was the rate-limited step of AQS-mediated decolorization of sulfonated azo dyes. Based on AQS biological toxicity tests, it was assumed that AQS might enter the cells to kill them. In the cytoplasmic extracts from strain QYY, AQS effectively increased decolorization rates of sulfonated azo dyes than other quinone compounds. In addition, we found a NADH/FMN-dependent AQS reductase using nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Native-PAGE).     

Inception of formation and early morphogenesis of the bacterial light organ of the sea urchin cardinalfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Siphamia versicolor</Emphasis>

The cardinalfish Siphamia versicolor (Perciformes: Apogonidae) forms a bioluminescent symbiosis with the marine luminous bacterium Photobacterium mandapamensis, harboring the bacteria in a ventral, disc-shaped light organ and using the bacterial light apparently for counterillumination and attracting prey. Little definitive information has been available on the developmental and microbiological events surrounding the initiation of symbiosis, a critical stage in the life history of the fish, in S. versicolor or any of the many other species of bacterially luminous fish. To identify the stage at which light organ formation begins, to determine the origin of cells forming the light organ, and to characterize its bacterial colonization status during development, early developmental stages of S. versicolor obtained and reared from wild-caught mouth-brooding males were examined with histological and microbiological methods. A light organ primordium was not evident in embryos, post-embryos, or pre-release larvae, whereas the light organ began to form within 1 day of release of full-term pre-flexion larvae from the mouths of male fish. Analysis of post-release larvae revealed that the light organ arises from a proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells, and that it quickly develops structural complexity, including the formation of chambers and gaps contiguous with the intestinal epithelium. However, the nascent light organ remained uncolonized by the symbiotic bacteria through several days of post-release development, even in the presence of high numbers of the symbiotic bacteria. These results demonstrate that the inception of light organ formation in S. versicolor occurs independently of its symbiotic bacteria and that receptivity to bacterial colonization apparently requires substantial post-release development of the light organ. Larvae therefore most likely acquire their symbiotic bacteria from seawater, during or shortly after the transition from the pre-flexion to the flexion developmental stage.     

Clearance rates of the great scallop (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pecten maximus</Emphasis>) and blue mussel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mytilus edulis</Emphasis>) at low natural seston concentrations

Great scallop, Pecten maximus, and blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, clearance rate (CR) responses to low natural seston concentrations were investigated in the laboratory to study (1) short-term CR variations in individual bivalves exposed to a single low seston diet, and (2) seasonal variations in average CR responses of bivalve cohorts to natural environmental variations. On a short temporal scale, mean CR response of both species to 0.06 μg L⁻¹ chlorophyll a (Chl a) and 0.23 mg L⁻¹ suspended particulate matter (SPM) remained constant despite large intra-individual fluctuations in CR. In the seasonal study, cohorts of each species were exposed to four seston treatments consisting of ambient and diluted natural seston that ranged in mean concentration from 0.15 to 0.43 mg L⁻¹ SPM, 0.01 to 0.88 μg L⁻¹ Chl a, 36 to 131 μg L⁻¹ particulate organic carbon and 0.019 to 0.330 mm³ L⁻¹ particle volume. Although food abundance in all treatments was low, the nutritional quality of the seston was relatively high (e.g., mean particulate organic content ranged from 68 to 75%). Under these low seston conditions, a high percentage of P. maximus (81–98%) and M. edulis (67–97%) actively cleared particles at mean rates between 9 and 12 and between 4 and 6 L g⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively. For both species, minimum mean CR values were obtained for animals exposed to the lowest seston concentrations. Within treatments, P. maximus showed a greater degree of seasonality in CR than M. edulis, which fed at a relatively constant rate despite seasonal changes in food and temperature. P. maximus showed a non-linear CR response to increasing Chl a levels, with rates increasing to a maximum at approximately 0.4 μg L⁻¹ Chl a and then decreasing as food quantity continued to increase. Mean CR of M. edulis also peaked at a similar concentration, but remained high and stable as the food supply continued to increase and as temperatures varied between 4.6 and 19.6°C. The results show that P. maximus and M. edulis from a low seston environment, do not stop suspension-feeding at very low seston quantities; a result that contradicts previous conclusions on the suspension-feeding behavior of bivalve mollusks and which is pertinent to interpreting the biogeographic distribution of bivalve mollusks and site suitability for aquaculture.     

Implication of nitric oxide in the heat-stress-induced cell death of the symbiotic alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Symbiodinium microadriaticum</Emphasis>

One of the major consequences of global warming is a rise in sea surface temperature which may affect the survival of marine organisms including phytoplankton. Here, we provide experimental evidence for heat-induced cell death in a symbiotic microalga. Shifting Symbiodinium microadriaticum from 27 to 32°C resulted in an increase in mortality, an increase in caspase 3-like activity, and an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production. The caspase-like activity was strongly correlated with the production of NO in thermally challenged microalgae. For this experiment, the application of Ac-DEVD-CHO, a mammalian caspase 3-specific inhibitor, partly prevented (by 65%) the increase in caspase-like activity. To verify the relationship between NO and the caspase-like activity, S. microadriaticum were subsequently incubated with 1.0 mM of the following chemical NO donors: sodium nitroprusside (SNP), S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and 3,3bis(Aminoethyl)-1-hydroxy-2-oxo-1-triazene (NOC-18). The supplementation of both SNP and NOC-18 caused a significant increase in caspase-like activity compared to the control treatment. Pre-treatment of the microalgae with the inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO before the supplementation of the different NO donors completely prevented the increase in caspase-like activity. These results suggest that NO could play a role in the induction of cell death in heat-stressed S. microadriaticum by mediating an increase in caspase-like activity.     

炼焦过程挥发性有机物排放特征及其大气化学反应活性

利用不锈钢采样罐和全自动预浓缩/GC/MS系统,在58-Ⅱ型和JN43-80型焦炉顶测试了炼焦过程中挥发性有机物(VOCs)中各组分的浓度,研究了VOCs排放特征,结合OH自由基消耗速率分析了这些物质的反应活性.研究发现,在装煤时刻和炼焦过程中,58-Ⅱ型焦炉产生的总挥发性有机物(TVOCs)浓度分别为7022 μg·m-3和6266μg·m-3;JN43-80型焦炉产生的TVOCs浓度分别为4185 μg·m-3和3298μg·m-3.装煤时刻产生的TVOCs浓度明显高于炼焦过程产生的.炼焦过程(包括装煤时刻)无组织排放的VOCs,包含烯烃、烷烃、芳香烃、卤代烃以及少量的醛和酮,其中乙烯、乙烷、丙烯、苯以及甲苯等为主要成分.这些产生的VOCs反应活性各不相同,活性最大的是烯烃类物质.其活性占TVOCs反应活性比重为86.2%±2.1%;其次是芳香烃类物质,其活性比重为9.2%±3.1%;反应活性最大的5个物种分别是丙烯、乙烯、1,3-丁二烯、1-丁烯以及苯乙烯.     

基于物质流分析的可持续发展方法探讨——以珠江三角洲为例

文章以珠江三角洲为例,选取区域物质总需求、区域过程总排放、区域总排放等指标,对珠江三角洲社会经济系统的物质流进行核算,结果表明:(1)珠江三角洲区域物质总需求、区域总排放年均递减率在7%以上,资源使用密度、单位GDP物质排放年均分别减少10.3%、11.4%。说明珠江三角洲产业结构开始升级,环境朝着利好方向发展。(2)隐藏流在各类相关指标中占有比例较高,占区域总排放的比例年均高达98%。说明推行减量化生产,提高物质利用率,进一步推动循环经济发展已迫在眉睫。(3)物质排放强度地域差异明显,惠州、肇庆、中山、江门历年均低于珠江三角洲平均水平,深圳、东莞远高于平均水平;IPAT分析显示,A呈上升趋势,T值呈逐年下降的趋势。总体来看,珠江三角洲发展循环经济具有极大的潜力,也具有极强的现实意义。     

苯噻草胺在土壤中的吸附与解吸行为研究

采用批量平衡实验方法,研究了除草剂苯噻草胺在5种不同性质土壤中的吸附与解吸行为,并探讨了土壤有机质及溶液pH值对吸附的影响.结果表明,线性方程与Freundlich方程均能较好地拟合苯噻草胺在土壤中的吸附等温线.计算得到苯噻草胺在5种土壤中的碳标化分配系数K_oc在849.5～1?818.8 L·kg^-1之间,说明土壤对苯噻草胺有较强的吸附能力.苯噻草胺在土壤中的分配系数K_d、Freundlich常数K_f以及K_f(1/n)与土壤有机质含量均呈显著正相关.通过过氧化氢去除有机质后,土壤对苯噻草胺的吸附大大降低,说明土壤有机质是影响苯噻草胺在土壤中吸附的主要因素.对于同种土壤而言,苯噻草胺的吸附量随pH值的增大而减小.解吸实验表明,苯噻草胺在土壤中的解吸过程具有一定的滞后性,推测其在土壤中的迁移能力较差.     

酚类化合物气相色谱保留指数的定量结构相关性研究

应用偏最小二乘回归技术建立了102种酚类化合物气相色谱保留指数与分子全息结构间的相关模型,在最佳建模条件下得到非交叉验证相关系数(r2)为0.965,交叉验证相关系数(q_LOO2)为0.963. 从102种酚类化合物中随机选出68种作为训练集,其余作为测试集,来验证分子全息QSRR模型的预测能力和稳健性. 在最佳建模条件对训练集进行偏最小二乘回归分析,r2为0.967,q_LOO2为0.927. 用训练集数据所建立的QSRR模型预测测试集中酚类化合物的色谱保留指数,结果表明,基于训练集所建立的QSRR模型具有很高的预测能力和稳健性,可以对测试集酚类化合物的气相色谱保留指数进行很好的预测. 此外,利用最佳全息定量结构保留关系(HQSRR)模型的色码图,探讨酚类化合物中的不同侧链基团对其色谱保留性质的影响,及其在固定相上的色谱保留机理.      

混合培养对沼泽红假单孢菌产氢及代谢的影响

混合培养逐渐引起人们的关注,将沼泽红假单孢菌Rhodopseudomonas palustris和厌氧细菌Enterobacter aerogenes PCM 532的混合培养,并进行生长代谢、产氢及正交实验、Biolog碳源代谢实验。结果表明,混合菌在厌氧光照条件下生长迅速,在好氧黑暗条件下也有一定生长;混合培养的产氢量高于纯培养;正交实验得到,对混合培养产氢影响最大的是底物和混合比例;Biolog微孔板代谢中混合菌可以利用纯菌种培养不能利用的碳源。混合培养表现为协同作用,促进细菌生长和提高产氢能力。