Photosynthetic recovery of desiccated intertidal seaweeds after rehydration

Intertidalseaweedsusuallyexperiencehoursto daysofdesiccationduringemersionbeforebeingim mersedagainintidecycles[1].Tosomespeciesofsea weedsthedesiccationimposednegativeeffectson photosynthesisandrespiration[2—6],itcouldalsoen hancethenetphotosynthesisofmostdetectedsea weedsattheinitialphaseofthewaterlosingpro cess[5,7—12].However,littlehasbeendocumentedon therelationshipofphotosyntheticrecoverywithwater retainingability.Desiccation resistantperformancesofintertidal seaweedswereconsideredtobe…     

Comparison of the Photosynthetic Characteristics of Two Developmental Stages in Nostoc sphaeroides Kützing (Cyanophyta)

0Introduction NostocsphaeroidesnaturallydistributesinpaddyfieldsofmountainousareaincentralChina.ItwasnamedGeXian miafter GeHong(A.D.284364),apharmacologistandalchemistofJinDynasty.Ithaslongbeenatraditionalfoodandwasbelievedtobea healthfood,thuswechooseita…     

Assessment of autonomic nervous system activity by heart rate recovery response

The assessment of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity is a tool for diagnosing or predicting cardiovascular diseases,while heart rate recovery response (HRRR) after exercise has been promoted as a process under the regulation of ANS (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems).Therefore,assessment of ANS activity was performed by HRRR in this study.Firstly,HRRR signal was extracted based on wavelet decomposition and difference curve of coarse component from heart rate signal.Then,HRRR was divided into quickly descending interval (QDI) and slowly descending interval (SDI).Finally,3 groups of indexes (Difference,Exponential and Quadratic Groups) from QDI and SDI were compared between 50 normotensive and 61 hypertensive subjects.The results showed that the indexes of Difference Group were better choices than others in analyzing the features of HRRR.Furthermore,parasympathetic activity is dominant in QDI,while sympathetic and parasympathetic activities affect SDI together.In conclusion,the proposed method was effective to assess ANS activity.     

Effects of binders on the performance of electric double-layer capacitors of carbon nanotube electrodes

Polarizable electrodes of electric double layer capacitor (EDLCs) were made from carbon nanotubes. Effects of different binders, which are phenolic resin (PF) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), on the properties of polarizable electrodes are studied. Results indicate that the microstructure, pore size distribution and specific capacitance of the electrodes with PTFE binder are superior to those electrodes with PF binder after carbonization. The suitable binder (PTFE) for carbon nanotubes electrodes is proposed.     

Effects of space environment on biological characters of tissue cultured rose seedlings

Tissue cultured rose seedlings were carried into space by SHENZHOU-4 spacecraft and then used as the experimental material to investigate effects of the space environmental conditions on morphology, cytology, physiology and molecular biology of the seedlings. After loaded on the space flight, the plant's height, number of leaves, and fresh weight per seedling were all increased significantly compared to the ground controls. The content of chlorophyll was basically unchanged. In some cells, the ultrastructural changes involved twist, contraction and deformation of cell wall, curvature and loose arrangement of lamellae of some chloroplasts, and a significant increase in number of starch grains per chloroplast. In addition, the number of mitochondria increased, but some mitochondrial outer membrane broke, and some mitochondrial cristae disappeared. The activities of the defense enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalyse, in rose leaves increased and the content of malondialdehyde decreased. In the RAPD analysis with 40 10-mer primers, 36 primers generated 148 DNA bands from both of the space flight treated seedlings and the ground controls, and five primers amplified polymorphic products. The rate of DNA variation was 6.34%.     

Exact n-width on the class of analytic functions in the space of continuous functions

Let ω(·) be a given concave modulus of continuity and ω(g,·) be the modulus of continuity of a function g∈C, where C is the space of 2π-periodic, continuous functions on R with norm ‖f‖C∶=maxt∈R|f(t)|, r,ω∞,β(r=0,1,2,…) denotes those 2π-periodic, real-valued functions f on R that are analytic in the strip Sβ∶=｛z∈C：|Imz|＜β｝, β＞0, and satisfy the restriction condition: ω(f(r),·)≤ω(·). In this paper, the exact n-width of the class of functions r,ω∞,β in the space C is determined.     

Land cover classification of remotely sensed image with hierarchical iterative method

Based on the analysis of the single-stage classification results obtained by the multitemporal SPOT 5 and Landsat 7 ETM+ multispectral images separately and the derived variogram texture, the best data combinations for each land cover class are selected, and the hierarchical iterative classification is then applied for land cover mapping. The proposed classification method combines the multitemporal images of different resolutions with the image texture, which can greatly improve the classification accuracy. The method and strategies proposed in the study can be easily transferred to other similar applications.     

Physiological and ultralstructural changes of Chlorella sp. induced by UV-B radiation

In order to investigate the mechanisms of enhanced UV-B radiation on algae, the effects of UV-B radiation on the physiological and ultrastructural changes of Chlorella sp. were examined. The results showed that UV-B radiation could inhibit the growth and photosynthesis of microalgae. UV-B radiation at lower doses increased the photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a (Chla) and carotenoid (Car)) contents, while at higher doses of UV-B radiation Chla and Car contents were decreased. The ultrastructure of Chlorella sp. without exposure to UV-B showed that the thylakoid lamellae were clear and regular, the stroma of its chloroplast was apparent and clear. The globules with photosynthetic pigments and the cristae of mitochondria were clearly seen. After exposure to UV-B radiation at dose of 2.88 kJm2, the thylakoid lamellae of Chlorella sp. were lost and dissolved, the globules which contained photosynthetic pigments in chloroplast were bleached; some mitochondria cristae were dissolved; slight plasmolysis was found in some Chlorella sp. cells. After exposure to 5.76 kJm2 UV-B radiation, the thylakoid was in disarray and disintegration, plasmolysis was found in most cells, and the cell wall was broken and began to fall out. Many blank areas were observed in cells, mitochondria were seriously deformed and most of the mitochondria cristae were dissolved. Also, globules containing photosynthetic pigments in chloroplast were bleached and some empty globules were found in chloroplast. Therefore, UV-B radiation could damage cell structure of Chlorella sp., and this damage increased with the dose of UV-B radiation they exposed to.     

Study on the bulk wave radiation of finite-length SAW devices using FEMBEM

Based on the distributions of stress and free charge on the interface of the surface acoustic wave (SAW) device calculated with the combination of boundary element method and finite element method(FEMBEM), the power of each of the three possible bulk waves radiated by the SAW device is calculated, and their contributions to the overall input conductance are separated respectively. Moreover, the formula of angular distributions of their power radiation into the substrate is derived. Consider the effect of mass loading, the resistance density，defined as a scalar, is extended to generalized resistance densities which can be written as three 4×4 tensors and for which the formulas are derived. The bulk wave radiations for a synchronous one-port resonator on 42°Y-rotated LiTaO3 are simulated. It is found that the radiated energy by slow shear wave contributes a very high proportion to input electrical energy in some frequency range.     

A novel endorectal RF coil for high resolution MRI and spectroscopy of the prostate

The diagnosis of prostate diseases by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in vivo is sometimes difficult for the lower signal to noise ratio (SNR). To increase the SNR of the prostate image, we designed a RF coil that can be inserted into rectum and was named endorectal coil. The properties of RF coil were evaluated using a network analyzer. Moreover the images and spectroscopy of a special phantom were acquired and the results were compared to those of the commercial TORSO coil (G.E. Medical Systems, USA). Our coil gave a significantly higher SNR at the region of interest (ROI). The achieved high local SNR and resulting high spatial resolution would add more anatomic and biochemical information to the diagnosis of prostate diseases.     

Numerical modelling of a turbulent bluff-body flow with Reynolds stress turbulent models

Numerical modelling of a turbulent bluff-body flow has been performed using differential Reynolds stress models (DRSMs). To clarify the applicability of the existing DRSMs in this complex flow, several typical DRSMs, including LRR-IP model, JM model, SSG model, as well as a modified LRR-IP model, have been validated and evaluated. The performance difference between various DRSMs is quite significant. Most of the above mentioned DRSMs cannot provide overall satisfactory predictions for this challenging test case. Motivated by the deficiency of the existing approaches, a new modification of LRR-IP model has been proposed. A very significant improvement of the prediction of flow field is obtained.     

Isolation and expression of an aquaporin-like gene VfPIP1 in Vicia faba

To explore the effects of aquaporins on stomatal movement, we isolated a full length cDNA of aquaporin-like gene VfPIP1 (Vicia faba plasma membrane intrinsic protein gene, GenBank accession number: AY667436), which encodes for a 290-amino-acid polypeptide, from Vicia faba leaf epidermis by 5′3′ RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends). The analyses of VfPIP1 transmembrane regions and amino acid sequence show that VfPIP1 owns six membrane-spanning domains and the special plasma membrane signature sequences GGGANXXXXGY and TGITNPARSLFGAAIVIVFYN, and it should be a member of PIP1 subfamily. The results of in situ hybridization and Northern blot indicate that VfPIP1 is strongly expressed in guard cells and induced by ABA. Hereby, VfPIP1 may be involved in the water-transmembrane movement of guard cells.     

Performance degradation of GaAs multi quantum well solar cells after proton irradiation

The performance degradation of GaAs multi quantum well solar cells (MQWSCs) has been studied using 2 MeV proton irradiation with fluences from 3×10⁹ to 2×10¹³ p/cm². The results have shown that the spectral response of MQWSCs clearly reduces in the short wavelength side after the proton irradiation，and the experimentally determined absolute ΔV_oc loss was found to be a good match to a model which describes the absolute ΔV_oc. The cells are seen to display good irradiation tolerance for the degradation rate of the Pmax under the irradiation with a high fluence of 3×10¹¹ p/cm² being only 25%.     

Simulation of the Earth''s gravitational field recovery from GRACE using the energy balance approach

Based on the measurement principles of GRACE satellites, the observation equations are set up using the energy balance approach. The Earth's gravitational field complete up to degree and order 120 is recovered applying the preconditioning conjugate gradient iterative approach by numerical simulation. Assuming an accuracy of 1 μms in range-rate measurements of the K-band microwave ranging system, the matching relationships of accuracies of K-band microwave ranging system, SuperSTAR Accelerometer, position vector and velocity vector measurements are investigated.     

Clinical and genetic analysis of two Chinese families with benign familial neonatal convulsions

Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited epilepsy syndrome. Two voltage-gated potassium channel genes, KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, have been identified as the genes responsible for BFNC. Here we report two Chinese families with clinical histories of typical BFNC. Using six microsatellite markers, two located at KCNQ2 locus and four at KCNQ3 locus, linkage analysis was performed in the two families, which excluded the linkage of BFNC to KCNQ3, but could not exclude the linkage to KCNQ2. Direct DNA sequencing of the KCNQ2 gene in the two families was performed, and two formerly unknown polymorphisms were identified, but no KCNQ2 mutation was found in the two families. Our study suggests the genetic heterogeneity in Chinese families with BFNC and proves the existence of a new gene locus for BFNC.     

A novel algorithm of artificial immune system for high-dimensional function numerical optimization

Based on the clonal selection theory and immune memory theory, a novel artificial immune system algorithm, immune memory clonal programming algorithm (IMCPA), is put forward. Using the theorem of Markov chain, it is proved that IMCPA is convergent. Compared with some other evolutionary programming algorithms (like Breeder genetic algorithm), IMCPA is shown to be an evolutionary strategy capable of solving complex machine learning tasks, like high-dimensional function optimization, which maintains the diversity of the population and avoids prematurity to some extent, and has a higher convergence speed.     

Molecular biological research on Foraminifera

As one of the most important groups in micropaleontology, Foraminifera is traditionally described to have a membranous, agglutinated or carbonate shell according to its morphology, which resembles the marine granuloreticuloseans. However, recent molecular analyses on its ribosomal RNA gene have disclosed the existence of the naked, and also freshwater and terrestrial species. Foraminiferal SSU rDNA sequence suggests that this group is positioned at the base of the Eukaryotes phylogenetic trees, between Euglenoida and Diplomonadida. Existence of a large amount of genetic types in planktonic foraminifera suggests an underestimation of the biodiversity for the nearly 50 species in world oceans and their close relationship with the ocean environment, such as bio-geographic distribution and water currents. This provides a more reliable proxy for future paleoenvironmental study.     

A collision recovery algorithm using optimal Q parameter based on BIBD in RFID①

In this work , an optimal Q algorithm based on a collision recovery scheme is presented .Tags use BIBD-(16,4,1) codes instead of RN16s.Therefore, readers can make a valid recognition even in col-lision slots .A way of getting the optimal slot-count parameter is studied and an optimal Q algorithm is proposed .The theoretical and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can improve reading efficiency by 100%more than the conventional Q algorithm.Moreover , the proposed scheme changes little to the existing standard .Thus, it is easy to implement and compatible with ISO 18000-6C.     

Induction of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and lipoxygenase in cotton seedlings by mechanical wounding and aphid infestation

It has been suggested that infestation of plants causes increases in the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and lipoxygenase (LOX), key enzymes in the phenolic compounds synthesis pathway and the octadecanoid pathway, respectively. The purpose of this work is to investigate whether the infestation of cotton aphid （Aphis gossypii） and mechanical wound can cause the induction of PAL and LOX activities in cotton seedlings, and whether the induction occurs in healthy seedlings growing nearby the attacked ones. The specific activities of PAL and LOX were measured using spectrophotometric method after aphid infestation and mechanical wounding. Result indicated that PAL activity and LOX activity were greatly induced by mechanical wounding and aphid infestation in cotton seedlings. The induction of PAL and LOX occurred not only in wounded and infested seedlings but also in intact healthy seedlings growing nearby. After exposed to the aphid infestation-induced volatiles, the specific activity of PAL in cotton seedlings increased by 6% at 24 h, 80% at 48 h, 235% at 72 h compared to the control, and the specific activity of LOX increased by 18% at 24 h, 34% at 48 h, 24% at 72 h, respectively. In comparison, the specific activity of PAL in unwounded seedlings exposed to wound-induced volatiles increased by 0.0 at 24 h, 200% at 48 h, 164% at 72 h, respectively and the specific activity of LOX increased by 28% at 24 h, 37% at 48 h, 8% at 72 h, respectively. It suggests that the induced volatiles are involved in plant-plant communication as airborne transferred signals.     

Zhang-Xuan thermal uplift and its genesis

Based on the researches of the Mesozoic thermal evolution history, the deformed structures, and fission track analysis of the Zhangjiakou-Xuanhua area, we obtained the following knowledge: the area experienced in 140 Ma an underplating which is marked by emplacement of mantle derived magma; during 130—110 Ma a series of eruptions and intrusions happened, and during 80—10 Ma a rising process occurred which is synchronous with the adjacent Taihang and Yanshan Mountains and was accompanied by a series of structures down slipping from the just formed Zhang-Xuan uplift toward its periphery. Combining the Zhang-Xuan thermal lift with the large detachment structure in Baoding depression of the North China Basin in the Late Mesozoic confirms that an even larger extensional tectonic background existed in North China during this period.