Mortality rate and population density regulation in the great tit, Parus major L.: A review

A comparative analysis of published estimates of survival rates in different populations of great tits is made separately for adult and juvenile birds. The relationship between environmental conditions and demographic parameters in the reproduction of populations is discussed. Published in Russian in Ekologiya, 2006, No. 3, pp. 199–207. The article was translated by the author.     

Tween 20 and Its Major Free Fatty Acids as Carbon Substrates for the Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

The ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 to grow and synthesize polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) using Tween 20 as the sole carbon source was investigated. Tween 20 could support cell growth and PHA production. The polymer produced from Tween 20 was compared with those produced from its major free fatty acids components: lauric (C₁₂), myristic (C₁₄), and palmitic (C₁₆) acids. Gas-chromatographic analysis of methanolyzed samples and ¹³C-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) showed that the PHAs obtained are composed of even carbon atoms 3-hydroxyalkanoates ranging from C₆ to C₁₄, with C₈ and C₁₀ as the predominant components. The nature of the carbon sources used had little influence on the composition, but was found to be important in determining the average molecular weight, shorter chain fatty acids yielding higher molecular weight products. Fast Atom Bombardment-Mass Spectrometry (FAB-MS) of partially pyrolyzed samples, coupled to statistical analysis, showed that these PHAs are random copolymers.     

不同生长期加拿大蓬挥发油对蚕豆保卫细胞的毒性效应

为探讨入侵植物加拿大蓬(Erigeron canadensis L.)的化感作用机制,以蚕豆(Vicia faba L.)叶下表皮为材料,研究了营养期和生殖期加拿大蓬挥发油各1μL、2μL、3μL、4μL、5μL分别处理保卫细胞10 min、20 min、30 min后产生的毒性效应。结果表明:挥发油处理后保卫细胞大量死亡,核形态发生较大改变;细胞死亡率和核异常率显著上升(p0.05),与处理剂量和时间呈正相关(p0.01);营养期挥发油处理后细胞的死亡率和核异常率总体高于生殖期;加入泛Caspase抑制剂后,细胞死亡率显著降低(p0.05)。研究表明,加拿大蓬挥发油引起的保卫细胞死亡为Caspase依赖性的细胞凋亡,营养期挥发油的化感胁迫效应比生殖期更强。结合GC-MS分析可见,不同生长期加拿大蓬挥发油毒性的差异可能与其化感物质的组成和含量差异有关。     

硝普钠对镧胁迫下黑麦草幼苗光合特性及矿质元素吸收的影响

为了探讨一氧化氮(NO)对镧(La)胁迫下牧草生理响应的调节作用,采用水培方法,研究了外源NO供体硝普钠(SNP)对300μmol·L-1LaCl3胁迫下黑麦草幼苗光合特性及矿质元素吸收的影响.结果表明,在La胁迫下,喷施50μmol·L-1SNP显著提高了黑麦草根尖和叶片中NO的含量,叶片光合色素含量、净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、气孔限制值(Ls)、PSⅡ最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)、实际光化学效率(ΦPSⅡ)、光化学猝灭(qP)和地上部K、Ca、Mg、Cu、Fe、Zn、Mn及根系K、Ca、Mg、P、Zn、Fe含量显著提高;叶片胞间CO2浓度(Ci)、非光化学猝灭(NPQ)及地上部La、P和根系Mn含量明显降低.表明NO可通过改善叶片光合活性,维持矿质元素平衡,从而缓解La胁迫对黑麦草光合作用的抑制.     

芦荟对土壤中重金属的吸收及EDTA影响

采用芦荟(Aloe vera L.)盆栽实验,考察了土壤中重金属在芦荟中的分布及施加EDTA对重金属在芦荟中积累影响。由实验结果,芦荟中重金属随土壤中重金属含量的增加而增加,Cd、Cu和Zn的增加量主要积累在叶部,而Pb的增加量主要积累在茎和根部。土壤中Pb的加入促进了芦荟对Cd和Cu的吸收,表明Pb与Cd、Cu在芦荟吸收时具有协同效应。随着土壤中EDTA用量的增加(0～4 mmol/kg),芦荟对重金属的吸收积累增加,其中Cu和Pb的增加较大。在EDTA作用下,芦荟叶部对重金属的迁移增大,其迁移系数Zn>Cd>Cu>Pb。EDTA螯合作用促使芦荟对重金属的吸收。芦荟叶部重金属对Fe的积累有明显抑制作用,而芦荟各部位中重金属对Ca的积累皆有明显抑制作用。     

Experimental study of the influence of particle size on Minimum Explosible Concentration of sulfur dust

Despite the extensive use of sulfur in the industry, very little information is available in the literature on its key dust explosion properties. The work presented in this paper contributes to filling the current knowledge gaps on sulfur dust explosion properties and focuses on the experimental determination of the MEC of sulfur dust using a Modified Hartmann Tube and a 20 L dust explosion sphere. First, the MEC of sulfur dust samples collected at a sulfur production facility from areas prone to the generation of fine sulfur dust was measured. The results showed that these sulfur dust samples are fine enough to cause dust explosions with 55 ± 5< MEC <105 ± 5 g/m³. Second, the influence of the particle size of sulfur dust was investigated with both equipment. The use of the Modified Hartmann Tube for MEC determination showed that the MEC increases with increasing particle size in the particle size range of 0–2000 μm. Unlike the Modified Hartmann Tube, MEC experiments done in the 20 L Sphere did not allow the quantification of the influence of the particle size on the MEC. These results were explained by the phenomenon of particle breakage induced by the 20 L Sphere's dispersion mechanism. Additional experiments with the 20 L sphere confirmed the particle breakage of sulfur dust particles and showed that it is inversely proportional to dust concentration and proportional to the dust's original particle size distribution.     

Challenges of transformation: The case of Norilsk Nickel

As Russia’s largest mining company, Norilsk Nickel was for much of its history an archetypal Soviet institution. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent prolonged economic crisis, in 2001 new management came into the company with the objective of transforming the company into a modern global corporation. In the years that followed, management pushed through a series of radical changes to the organisation and its operations. Simultaneous with these changes, the company extended its asset base in Russia and acquired assets outside the country. The progressive direction of the company was, however, taking it further and further out on a limb and the programme of transformation was not being matched and supported by public policy and regulation. Pressures came to a head in the middle of 2008 when a change in the structure of company’s ownership and a collapse of metal prices combined to bring about increased involvement of the state in company’s affairs and a more national emphasis to its strategic orientation.     

Exposure of the Roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus nigra</Emphasis> L. cv. Loenen to PAHs and its Effect on growth and water balance

Poplar cuttings were cultivated for 4 weeks in a substrate, which consisted of a combination of sand and nutrient solution. The plants were treated for 24 days with BaP, Chr, Ant, Phen, P and Flt, single or in combination. The concentration of the PAHs ranged from 0.1-200 mg/kg substrate. The results of the pollution experiments can be summarized as follows: 1. The most significant deviations between the test groups and the control can be observed for transpiration, nutrient solution uptake, and root mass. 2. Although transpiration and nutrient solution uptake are significantly lower for all the treated groups than for the control group, the water content of the leaves was not affected by PAHs. 3. The biomass of the shoots and the growth in shoot length do not react as strongly to exposure to PAHs as transpiration, nutrient solution uptake and the volume of the roots. 4. The differences in leaf weight and leaf surface area are significantly less pronounced compared to the control groups. Growth inhibition is most evident with Flt. Growth and absorption of the nutrient solution dropped with just Flt 0.1 mg/kg substrate. When the substrate concentration was increased, growth and nutrient solution uptake dropped considerably and at a concentration of Flt 200, 5 of the 11 test plants died before the end of the period of exposure. Nutrient solution uptake and shoot development of the test plants decreased in the following order: BaP H approximately = Chr > Ant > Phen > Pyr > Flt.     

丛枝菌根真菌及猪炭对多氯联苯污染土壤的联合修复作用

选用玉米(Zea mays L.)为供试植物,采用盆栽试验研究了接种丛枝菌根(Arbuscular mycorrhiza,AM)真菌(Funneliformis mosseae)和添加不同粒径猪炭对多氯联苯(Polychlorinated biphenyls,PCBs)污染土壤的联合修复效应及其对土壤微生物的影响.结果表明,接种AM真菌(10%接种量)及添加2.5%猪炭对土壤有效磷含量提高具有显著的协同效应,猪炭还显著提高了土壤有机碳、速效钾含量和pH值(p0.05);猪炭显著促进了菌根真菌侵染率,但对玉米根系生物量具有抑制作用.接种AM真菌的同时添加猪炭提高了细菌16S rDNA丰度,且接种AM真菌同时添加粒径0.25 mm猪炭显著促进了土壤PCBs降解率.AM真菌与猪炭改变了土壤微生物种群的相对丰度,其中,Planctomycetes与土壤三氯联苯降解显著相关(r=0.049,p0.05),而Acidobacteria与五氯联苯降解显著相关(r=0.008,p0.01).AM真菌及猪炭提高了土壤有效养分含量,促进了植物生物量和土壤PCBs降解,对PCBs污染土壤具有较好的修复潜力.     

西南地区辣椒品种资源调查

西南地区是中国辣椒优异种质资源地,辣椒产量很大,大多数品种的辣椒素含量都较高,资源潜力巨大.作者赴成都、重庆、昆明及贵阳四个地区开展了18个县、30个镇(村)、52人次的调查,并采集辣椒样品供化学分析,为以后选取辣椒素含量高、产量大且价格低廉的品种大量提取辣椒素打下基础.本次调查共采集辣椒样品33个,其中成都地区6个,重庆地区8个,昆明地区10个,贵阳地区9个,现将调查结果整理成文.