Forming a tough shell via an intracellular matrix and cellular junctions in the tail epidermis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oikopleura dioica</Emphasis> (Chordata: Tunicata: Appendicularia)

A postanal tail is a major synapomorphy of the phylum Chordata, which is composed of three subphyla: Vertebrata, Cephalochordata, and Tunicata (Urochordata). Among tunicates, appendicularians are the only group that retains the tail in the adult, and the adult tail functions in locomotion and feeding in combination with a cellulose-based house structure. Given the phylogenetic position of tunicates, the appendicularian adult tail may possess ancestral features of the chordate tail. We assess the ultrastructural development of the tail epidermis of the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica. The epidermis of the larval tail is enclosed by the larval envelope, which is a thin sheet similar to the outer tunic layer of ascidian larvae. The epidermis of the adult tail seems to bear no tunic-like cellulosic integuments, and the tail fin is a simple folding of the epidermis. Every epidermal cell, except for the triangular cells at the edge of the tail fin, has a conspicuous matrix layer of fibrous content in the apical cytoplasm without enclosing membranes. The epidermis of the larval tail does not have a fibrous matrix layer, suggesting the production of the layer during larval development and metamorphosis. Zonulae adhaerentes firmly bind the epidermal cells of the adult tail to one another, and the dense microfilaments lining the cell borders constitute a mechanical support for the cell membranes. The intracellular matrix, cell junctions, and cytoskeletons probably make the tail epidermis a tough, flexible shell supporting the active beating of the oikopleuran adult tail.     

Tracking pigeons in a magnetic anomaly and in magnetically “quiet” terrain

Pigeons were released at two sites of equal distance from the loft, one within a magnetic anomaly, the other in magnetically quiet terrain, and their tracks were recorded with the help of GPS receivers. A comparison of the beginning of the tracks revealed striking differences: within the anomaly, the initial phase lasted longer, and the distance flown was longer, with the pigeons' headings considerably farther from the home direction. During the following departure phase, the birds were well homeward oriented at the magnetically quiet site, whereas they continued to be disoriented within the anomaly. Comparing the tracks in the anomaly with the underlying magnetic contours shows considerable differences between individuals, without a common pattern emerging. The differences in magnetic intensity along the pigeons' path do not differ from a random distribution of intensity differences around the release site, indicating that the magnetic contours do not directly affect the pigeons' routes. Within the anomaly, pigeons take longer until their flights are oriented, but 5 km from the release point, the birds, still within the anomaly, are also significantly oriented in the home direction. These findings support the assumption that magnetically anomalous conditions initially interfere with the pigeons' navigational processes, with birds showing rather individual responses in their attempts to overcome these problems.     

A new captorhinid reptile, Gansurhinus qingtoushanensis, gen. et sp. nov., from the Permian of China

Captorhinids, a clade of Paleozoic reptiles, are represented by a rich fossil record that extends from the Late Carboniferous into the Late Permian. Representatives of this clade dispersed from the equatorial regions of Laurasia into the temperate regions of Pangea during the Middle and Late Permian. This rich fossil record shows that there was an evolutionary trend from faunivorous to omnivorous and herbivorous feeding habits within this clade. The discovery of well-preserved captorhinid materials in the Middle Permian of China allows us to determine that the new taxon, Gansurhinus qingtoushanensis, gen. et sp. nov, is a member of Moradisaurinae, a clade of captorhinids with multiple tooth rows arranged in parallel. The presence of this moradisaurine in the Middle Permian of south central Asia leads us to suggest that paleogeographic changes during the Permian, with part of what is today China becoming a large peninsula of Pangea, allowed these early reptiles as well as other terrestrial vertebrates to extend their geographic ranges to this region of the Late Paleozoic supercontinent.     

Effects of irrigation,fertilization and crop straw management on nitrous oxide and nitric oxide emissions from a wheat–maize rotation field in northern China

One-year winter wheat–summer maize rotation is the most popular double cropping system in north-central China, and this highly productive system is an important source of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and nitric oxide (NO) emissions due to the high fertilizer N and irrigation water inputs. To sustain the high crop production and mitigate the detrimental impacts of N₂O and NO emissions, improved management practices are extensively applied. The aim of this study is therefore to evaluate the effects of an improved management practice of irrigation, fertilization and crop straw on grain yield and N₂O and NO emissions for a wheat–maize rotation field in northern China. Using automated and manual chamber measuring systems, we monitored N₂O and NO fluxes for the conventional (CT, 2007–2008), improved (IT, 2007–2008), straw-amended (WS, 2008–2009), straw-not-amended (NS, 2008–2009), and no N-fertilizer treatments (WS–NN, 2008–2009), respectively, for one rotation-year. The grain yields were determined for CT and IT for three rotation-years (2005–2008) and for WS, NS and WS–NN for one rotation-year (2008–2009). The improved management of irrigation and fertilization reduced the annual N fertilization rate and irrigation amount by 17% and 30%, respectively; increased the maize yield by 7–14%; and significantly decreased the N₂O and NO emissions by 7% (p < 0.05) and 29% (p < 0.01), respectively. The incorporation of wheat straw increased the cumulative N₂O and NO emissions in the following maize season by 58% (p < 0.01) and 13%, respectively, whereas the effects of maize straw application were not remarkable. The N₂O and NO emission factors of applied N were 2.32 ± 2.32% and 0.42 ± 1.69% for wheat straw and 0.67 ± 0.23% and 0.54 ± 0.15% for chemical N-fertilizers, respectively. Compared to conventional management practices using high application rates of irrigation water and chemical N-fertilizer as well as the field burning of crop straw, the improved management strategy presented here has obvious environmentally positive effects on grain yield and mitigation of N₂O and NO emissions.     

有机磷农药降解方法及应用研究新进展

现代农业的发展和有机磷农药的使用密切相关,所造成的严重的农产品和环境污染是农业发展有待解决的关键问题之一。介绍了超声波技术、吸附、洗涤和辐照等物理方法,微生物、降解酶和工程菌等生物方法,水解、氧化分解和光化学降解等化学方法对有机磷农药的降解作用及其相关的应用研究。     

西北干旱区中小城市水价探析

为了促进西北干旱区中小城市的快速、稳定的发展,解决该地区中小城市的水资源短缺问题,以水价作为出发点,充分利用水价格的经济杠杆作用,制定出该地区中小城市的水价。以西北干旱区中具有代表性的城市石河子为例,通过实地调研,得到石河子居民、居民生活用水情况、现行水价、居民家庭节水情况、居民的心理承受水价以及平时生活的节水意识等情况,通过分析,得出居民的心理承受偏低,现行水价仍有一定的上调空间,调价范围为1.58~2.31元/m3,最高可调至4.11元/m3。结合石河子的水价,为西北干旱区的中小城镇的水价改革、提高水资源的利用率等提出一些切实可行的建议。     

己内酰胺生产废水的铁碳微电解深度处理与机理研究

采用铁碳微电解方法对己内酰胺生产废水进行深度处理,探讨了pH值、停留时间、铁碳质量比对处理效果的影响。在pH为4、停留时间为120 min、铁碳质量比为4的最佳处理条件下,COD去除率可达57.8%,色度去除率可达68.4%。微电解对己内酰胺废水的作用主要通过铁的絮凝作用,处理过程中的酸性条件、微电解的氧化还原和电场作用,从而提高其去除效率。     

焦化废水对蚕豆和大麦毒性的影响

以COD作为主要参照指标,研究了焦化废水在符合GB 13456-92<钢铁工业水污染物排放标准>焦化一级、二级排放标准限值要求时,对蚕豆和大麦幼根生长、根尖细胞遗传毒性的影响.结果表明:在实验周期内,焦化废水对蚕豆幼根根长、根重和有丝分裂指数的影响不大;对大麦幼根根重无明显影响,而对大麦根长和有丝分裂指数有促进作用.焦...     

Removal of copper ions from aqueous solution by calcium alginate immobilized kaolin

Kaolin has been widely used as an adsorbent to remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. However, the lower heavy metal adsorption capacity of kaolin limits its practical application. A novel environmental friendly material, calcium alginate immobilized kaolin (kaolin/CA), was prepared using a sol-gel method. The e ects of contact time, pH, adsorbent dose, and temperature on Cu2+ adsorption by kaolin/CA were investigated. The Langmuir isotherm was used to describe the experimental adsorption, the maximum Cu2+ adsorption capacity of the kaolin/CA reached up to 53.63 mg/g. The thermodynamic studies showed that the adsorption reaction was a spontaneous and endothermic process.     

Effects of Cu（Ⅱ） and humic acid on atrazine photodegradation

This work was designed to explore the characteristics of photodegradation of herbicides in the copper-polluted water body. The results showed that Cu(II) alone could induce a photo Fenton-like reaction to enhance the degradation of atrazine, in which hydroxyl radical ( OH) was a main active species. Humic acids restrained atrazine degradation, nevertheless, when introducing Cu(II), the photodegradation was accelerated, in which singlet oxygen (1O2) replaced OH acting as the prevailing species. A feasible mechanism for the photochemical process was also proposed, which is helpful for better understanding the environmental photochemistry of atrazine in the copper-polluted water.