Phosphorus in interstitial water induced by redox potential in sediment of Dianchi Lake, China

The sediment redox potential was raised in the laboratory to estimate reduction of internal available phosphorus loads, such as soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total phosphorus (TP), as well as the main elements of sediment extracts in Dianchi Lake. Several strongly reducing substances in sediments, which mainly originated from anaerobic decomposition of primary producer residues, were responsible for the lower redox potential. In a range of -400 to 200 mV raising the redox potential of sediments decreased TP and SRP in interstitial water. Redox potentials exceeding 320 mV caused increases in TP, whereas SRP maintained a relatively constant minimum level. The concentrations of Al, Fe, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+ and S in interstitial water were also related to the redox potential of sediments, suggesting that the mechanism for redox potential to regulate the concentration of phosphorus in interstitial water was complex.

Environmental signals: Synthetic humic substances act as xeno-estrogen and affect the thyroid system of Xenopus laevis

According to outdated paradigms humic substances (HS) are considered to be refractory or inert that do not directly interact with aquatic organisms. However, they are taken up and induce biotransformation activities and may act as hormone-like substances. In the present study, we tested whether HS can interfere with endocrine regulation in the amphibian Xenopus laevis. In order to exclude contamination with phyto-hormones, which may occur in environmental isolates, the artificial HS 1500 was applied. The in vivo results showed that HS 1500 causes significant estrogenic effects on X. laevis during its larval development and results of semi-quantitative RT-PCR revealed a marked increase of the estrogenic biomarker estrogen receptor mRNA (ER-mRNA). Furthermore, preliminary RT-PCR results showed that the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH beta-mRNA) is enhanced after exposure to HS1500, indicating a weak adverse effect on T3/T4 availability. Hence, HS may have estrogenic and anti-thyroidal effects on aquatic animals, and therefore may influence the structure of aquatic communities and they may be considered environmental signaling chemicals. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Choerospondias axillaris growth on acidity of Udic Ferrosols in subtropical China

Changes in acidity of Udic Ferrosols, caused by growth of Choerospondias axillaris (Roxb.) Burtt et Hill, in comparison to wild grass, were investigated for pH distribution in the soil profile, exchangeable acidity, and cation status in the soil leachate of a simulated leaching experiment. Soils were sampled in profiles at 5 cm intervals to a depth of 100 cm. In the 1.5-60 cm layer the soils with 10-year old C. axillaris had significantly lower pH (P < 0.05), with the largest difference being 0.41: and in the 25-75 cm soil depths, especially in the 30-55 cm layer, the soils had a significantly higher exchangeable acidity, ranging 1.93 to 3.02 cmol(c) kg(-1). There was also higher aluminum, potassium, and sodium contents in the soil leachate under C. axillaris than with wild grasses. This suggested that the growth of C. axillaris accelerated acidification of Udic Ferrosols and promoted soil clay mineral weathering.

UV-sensitive P compounds: Release mechanism, seasonal fluctuation and inhibitory effects on alkaline phosphatase activity in a shallow Chinese freshwater lake (Donghu Lake)

Filtrable phosphorus compounds in a shallow Chinese freshwater lake (Donghu Lake) were fractionated by Sephadex G-25 gel-filtration chromatography. Some portions of those compounds released soluble reactive phosphorus upon irradiation with low dose ultraviolet light. Catalase and a hydroxyl radical scavenger (mannitol) markedly prevented photosensitive phosphorus release. The observed effects may be explained by the action of oxidizing reagents such as hydroxyl radicals, produced in photochemical reactions between UV irradiation and humic substances in the water. There was a strong seasonality in UV-sensitive P (UVSP) release. Michaels constants (K-m) of total alkaline phosphatase in the lake water showed a direct positive relation to UVSP. Plot of K-m against the UVSP/phosphomonoester ratio reveals a strong relationship between the two variables. These results suggest that in some situations UVSP may be a competitive inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase activity in the lake. The competitive inhibition of fractionated UVSP on alkaline phosphatase reagent (Sigma) apparently supports this hypothesis.

中国北方表沙无机碳储量及次生碳酸盐固碳潜力研究

This paper selected the Taklamakan Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert as the research areas, tested the carbonate content of surface-sand samples of dunes using Eijkelkamp carbonate goniophotometer, and analyzed the spatial-distribution characteristics of carbonate and estimated the carbonate-stock and secondary carbonate-stock in 1m depth of surface sand in the Taklamakan Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert. In addition, the paper test XRD, SEM, TDA, stable carbon isotope and radioactive strontium isotope of lacustrine deposits in the Taklamakan Desert and carbonates, such as kunkar, root canal, lacustrine deposits, sinter and calcrete, in the Badain Jaran Desert. Resting on the achievements by our predecessors, it analyzed the mineral-composition differences of the carbonates, calculated the contents of secondary carbonate and, furthermore, evaluated their potential of sequestration of CO2 in the atmosphere. The overall goal of this study was to increase our understanding of soil carbonate in the context of carbon sequestration in the arid region in China. That is, to advance our understanding about whether or not secondary carbonate in desert is a sink for atmospheric CO2. The following viewpoints were obtained: 1 Carbonate contents of surface-sand samples decend from the south to the north of the Taklamakan Desert. The minimum lies in the south and the maxmum in the mid. Carbonate content of surface-sand of megadunes in the Badain Jaran Desert has low value generally in the dune-crest and the base of slope, and large value in the mid. The average of Carbonate contents of all sorts of collected samples in the same area of the Taklamakan Desert has small diffetences. The average is about 9%. 2 Using carbonate contents as key parameters, calculate the carbon-stock of carbonates in 1m depth of surface sand in the Taklamakan Desert and the Badain Jaran Deser.They are 1.13Pg and 0.19 Pg respectively. There are 0.53Pg and 0.088Pg carbon-stock of secondary-carbonates in 1m depth of surface sand in the Taklamakan Desert and the Badain Jaran Desert. 3 Through testing data from XRD （X-ray diffraction）and TAD ( Thermal Analysis Data), the most significant conclusion derived from is that the main mineral ingredient is calcite in different carbonate substances in arid regions, From the SEM(Scanning electron microscopy ) images, can obtains the information about the micro environment of different carbonate forms in which they can grow. 4 Selected gas by termal cracking and traditional phosphoric acid method, their δ13C show that δ13C is a good parameter to indicate the micro environment in which different secondary carbonate forms. From the δ13C of the same type samples, if the redeposit degree is hard, theδ13C is light, the redeposit degree is weak, the δ13C is heave. and the δ13C of the different type samples, δ13C is mainly controlled by the micro environment in which secondary formed. if the procedure is characterized by redeposit and dissolve of marine facies carbonate, δ13C is heavy, it is characterized by CO2 which produced by plant respiration,δ13C is light. 5 From the δ13C of lacustrine deposit in the different grain size, there exsit certain differences in their micro environment and secondary degree among different grain size in the same grade. 6 The secondary carbonate content of lacustrine deposits in Taklimakan Desert is 47.26%. And those of root canal, sinter, calcrete, kunkar, lacustrine deposit and surface sand in Badain Jaran Desert are 91.74%, 78.46%, 76.26%, 87.87%, 85.37%and 46.49%, respectively. Of different grain size samples, the secondary carbonate contents of coarse fraction (20-63μm), sub-coarse fraction (5-20μm) and fine fraction (<5μm) are 80.10%, 47.2%and 50.07%, respectively. 7 There is no obvious relevance betweenδ13C of secondary carbonate and the content of secondary carbonate,theδ13C of secondary carbonate mainly reflects the parameters of secondary process, the content of secondary carbonate reflects difference of secondary degree.. 8 Silicates potentially supply 3.4 pencent calcium source during forming process of lacustrine deposits in Taklimakan Desert. If calcium source is mainly supplied by goundwater, it can be calculated that about 5.18 %, 6.13%, 5.68%, 5.64 % and 6.82% silicates supply calcium source respectively for root canal, kunkar, lacustrine deposit, calcrete and sinter, during the forming process of different kinds of carbonates in Badain Jaran Desert.

水体中有机物的紫外光降解研究

当前，水资源污染越来越严重，人类的健康面临着巨大的威胁。高级氧化技术作为一 种经济、高效、无二次污染的水体处理方法，一直是水污染控制与治理领域研究的热点。 本文以环境中典型的有机污染物苯酚和水体中主要有机物腐殖酸为研究对象，利用自 制的紫外光（ultraviolet，UV）离线降解装置，采用紫外-可见光谱法和总有机碳（TOC） 分析法分别研究水相中苯酚、腐殖酸的紫外光降解情况，系统地考察不同初始pH值、初始 浓度、光照时间、光照强度、反应容器等因素对光降解效果的影响。为了模拟实际水体条 件和提高光降解效率，在体系中分别加入NaCl、Na2CO3、NaNO3、NaNO2和双氧水等化学 成分，探讨这些化学物质对苯酚、腐殖酸的紫外光降解效率和降解途径的影响。最后，首 次构建了石英螺旋管内壁负载TiO2膜的在线降解装置，结合UV/H2O2/TiO2联用体系，进行 海水中有机物的光降解研究。 紫外可见光谱分析表明：光降解速率随初始pH 值的降低而提高，相同条件下苯酚在 酸性溶液中降解速率高于碱性溶液，说明苯酚分子比酚氧离子容易光降解；硝酸钠和亚硝 酸钠有利于苯酚的光降解，说明它们在紫外光下容易分解生成自由基；在苯酚水溶液中加 入双氧水，光照15 min 后，光降解效率达到97%。各种介质中苯酚的降解速率大小依次为： 1.5 mmol/L 过氧化氢溶液 ＞ 1.0 mmol/L 硝酸钠的海水 ＞ 海水 ＞ 纯水 ＞ 0.5 mol/L 氯化钠溶液。然而，TOC 数据显示氯化钠的存在对苯酚的矿化有促进作用；同光谱的降解 速率相比，矿化速率要小。 腐殖酸的光降解效率随初始质量浓度的减小而提高，当质量浓度为10 mg/L时，光照 30 分钟后，降解效率高达到88%；初始pH值对腐殖酸的降解效率影响很大，腐殖酸在碱 性条件下比在中性和酸性条件更容易光降解；硝酸钠等盐分对中性和碱性溶液中腐殖酸的 光降解没有明显促进作用，但对酸性溶液中腐殖酸的光降解促进作用明显。采用UV/H2O2联 合降解时，腐殖酸降解效率得到显著提高。 相比离线降解方式，采用石英螺旋管在线降解苯酚和腐殖酸，降解效率均提高了15 倍 以上；海水经过在线降解后，紫外可见光光谱吸光度值缓慢下降；经过多次在线光降解后， 在290 nm波长处出现强烈吸收峰，再次光照后很快消失。这种现象表明海水中可能存在着 粒

Toward an understanding of the molecular mechanism for successful blood feeding by coupling proteomics analysis with pharmacological testing of horsefly salivary glands

Horseflies are economically important blood-feeding arthropods and also a nuisance for humans and vectors for filariasis. They rely heavily on the pharmacological properties of their saliva to get a blood meal and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on antihemostatic substances in horsefly salivary glands; especially no horsefly immune suppressants have been reported. By proteomics or peptidomics and coupling transcriptome analysis with pharmacological testing, several families of proteins or peptides, which act mainly on the hemostatic system or immune system of the host, were identified and characterized from 30,000 pairs salivary glands of the horsefly Tabanus yao (Diptera, Tabanidae). They are: (i) a novel family of inhibitors of platelet aggregation including two members, which possibly inhibit platelet aggregation by a novel mechanism and act on platelet membrane, (ii) a novel family of immunosuppressant peptides including 12 members, which can inhibit interferon-gamma production and increase interleukin-10 secretion, (iii) a serine protease inhibitor with 56 amino acid residues containing anticoagulant activity, (iv) a serine protease with anticoagulant activity, (v) a protease with fibrinogenolytic activity, (vi) three families of antimicrobial peptides including six members, (vii) a hyaluronidase, (viii) a vasodilator peptide, which is an isoform of vasotab identified from Hybomitra bimaculata, and interestingly (ix) two metallothioneins, which are the first metallothioneins reported from invertebrate salivary glands. The current work will facilitate the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the ectoparasite-host relationship and help in identifying novel vaccine targets and novel leading pharmacological compounds.

Anti-thrombosis Repertoire of Blood-feeding Horsefly Salivary Glands

Blood-feeding arthropods rely heavily on the pharmacological properties of their saliva to get a blood meal and suppress immune reactions of hosts. Little information is available on antihemostatic substances in horsefly salivary glands although their sal

Presence of estrogenic activity from emission of fossil fuel combustion as detected by a recombinant yeast bioassay

Estrogenic activities of emission samples generated by fossil fuel combustion were investigated with human estrogen receptor (ER) recombinant yeast bioassay. The results showed that there were weak but clear estrogenic activities in combustion emissions of fossil fuels including coal, petroleum, and diesel. The estrogenic relative potency (RP) of fossil fuel combustion was the highest in petroleum-fired car, followed by coal-fired stove, diesel-fired agrimotor, coal-fired electric power station. On the other hand, the estrogenic relative inductive efficiency (RIE) was the highest in coal-fired stove and coal-fired electric power station, followed by petroleum-fired car and diesel-fired agrimotor. The estrogenic activities in the sub-fractions from chromatographic separation of emitted materials were also determined. The results indicated that different chemical fractions in these complex systems have different estrogenic potencies. The GC/MS analysis of the emission showed that there were many aromatic carbonyls, big molecular alcohol, PAHs and derivatives, and substituted phenolic compounds and derivatives which have been reported as environmental estrogens. The existence of estrogenic substances in fossil fuel combustion demands further investigation of their potential adverse effects on human and on the ecosystem. The magnitude of pollution due to global usage of fossil fuels makes it imperative to understand the issue of fossil fuel-derived endocrine activities and the associated health risks, particularly the aggregated risks stemmed from exposure to toxicants of multiple sources. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

容重对土壤水分入渗能力影响模拟试验

通过人工改变土壤颗粒级配,配制典型砂壤、中壤、黏壤,并设置不同容重水平,用土柱积水入渗模拟了土壤容重对其入渗能力的影响,为土壤改良和促进天然降水转化利用提供理论依据。结果表明,容重对土壤入渗能力有较大影响。试验土壤入渗能力随容重增大递减,3种典型土壤稳定入渗速率与容重均呈对数负相关,砂壤120min累积入渗量与容重呈幂函数负相关,中壤、黏壤则呈线性负相关。考斯加科夫入渗模型中,表征初始入渗速率的参数随容重增大递减,表征入渗能力衰减速度的参数则随容重增大递增,说明土壤初始入渗能力随容重增大递减,入渗能力衰减速度随容重增大递增。

Review on study of resonance electron capture mass spectrometry

Resonance electron capture mass spectrometry, in which an additional information coordinate, the energy of electron capture, is applied, has a high sensitivity and a high specificity. It is extensively used to study the structure elucidation, the mechanism of ion formation and the detection, identification and quantification of organic substances in mixture.

Electrochemical probe of hydroxylation of 4-nitrophenol by cytochrome c with hydrogen peroxide

The reaction of hydrogen peroxide with cytochrome c makes them coupled to lead to the hydroxylation of 4-nitrophenol. In situ electrochemical probe was used to detect the hydroxylation of 4-nitrophenol, which can avoid the tedious extraction procedure, the loss of the active species and the interference of some colored substances in the detection of 4-nitrocatechol by spectroscopic method. The hydroxyl radical scavengers mannitol and sodium benzoate did not eliminate hydroxylation, but the inhibitory effect of uric acid on the hydroxylation lead to the formation of the ferryl species of the protein during the reaction. These studies suggest that the electrochemical probe might efficiently detect the trace 4-nitrocatechol from the onset of the hydroxylation reaction and thus provides a more sensitive tool.

东南极格罗夫山地区的土壤特征及其环境研究

The Grove Mountains, including 64 nunataks, is situated on an area about 3200km2 in the inland ice cap of east Antarctica in Princess Elizabeth land (72o20'-73°101S, 73°50'-75o40'E), between Zhongshan station and Dome A, about 450km away from Zhongshan station (69°22'S, 76°22'E). Many workers thought there was no pedogenesis in the areas because of the less precipitation and extreme lower temperature. However, during the austral summer in 1999-2000, the Chinaer 16 Antarctic expedition teams entered the inland East Antarctica and found three soil spots in the Southern Mount Harding, Grove Mountains, East Antarctica. It is the first case that soils are discovered in the inland in East Antarctica. Interestingly, the soils in this area show clay fraction migration, which is different from other cold desert soils. In addition, several moraine banks are discovered around the Mount Harding. The soil properties are discussed as below. Desert pavement commonly occurs on the three soil site surfaces, which is composed of pebbles and fragments formed slowly in typical desert zone. Many pebbles are subround and variegated. These pebbles are formed by abrasion caused by not only wind and wind selective transportation, but also salt weathering and thaw-freezing action on rocks. The wind blows the boulders and bedrocks with snow grains and small sands. This results in rock disintegration, paved on the soil surface, forming desert pavement, which protects the underground soil from wind-blow. The desert pavement is the typical feature in ice free zone in Antarctica. There developed desert varnish and ventifacts in this area. Rubification is a dominant process in cold desert Antarctic soils. In cold desert soils, rubification results in relatively high concentrations of Fed in soil profile. Stained depth increases progressively with time. The content of Fed is increasing up to surface in each profile. The reddish thin film is observed around the margin of mafic minerals such as biotite, hornblende, and magnetite in parent materials with the microscope analyzing on some soil profiles. So the Fed originates from the weathering of mafic minerals in soils. Accumulations of water-soluble salts, either as discrete horizons or dispersed within the soil, occur in the soil profiles, and the salt encrustations accumulate just beneath surface stones in this area. The results of X-ray diffraction analyses show that the crystalline salts consist of pentahydrite (MgSO4-5H2O), hexahydrite (MgSO4-6H2O), hurlbutite (CaBe2(PO4)2), bloedite (Na2Mg(S04)2-4H2O), et al., being mainly sulfate. The dominant cations in 1:5 soil-water extracts are Mg2+ and Na+, as well as Ca2+ and K+, while the dominant anion is SO42-, then NO3-, Cl- and HCO3-. There are white and yellowish sponge materials covered the stone underside surface, of which the main compounds are quartz (SiO2, 40.75%), rozenite (FeSOKkO, 37.39%), guyanaite (Cr2O3-1.5H2O, 9.30%), and starkeyite (MgSO4-4H2O, 12.56%). 4) The distribution of the clay fraction is related to the maximum content of moisture and salts. Clay fraction migration occurs in the soils, which is different from that of other cold desert soils. X-ray diffraction analyses show that the main clay minerals are illite, smectite, then illite-smectite, little kaolinite and veirniculite. Mica was changed to illite, even to vermiculite by hydration. Illite formed in the initial stage of weathering. The appearance of smectite suggests that it enriched in magnesium, but no strong eluviation, which belongs to cold and arid acid environment. 5) Three soil sites have different moisture. The effect moisture is in the form of little ice in site 1. There is no ice in site 2, and ice-cement horizon is 12 cm below the soil surface in site 3. Salt horizon is 5-10 cm up to the surface in Site 1 and Site 2, while about 26cm in site 3. The differentiation of the active layer and the permafrost are not distinct because of arid climate. The depth of active layer is about 10 cm in this area. Soils and Environment: On the basis of the characteristics of surface rocks, soil colors, horizon differentiation, salt in soils and soil depth, the soils age of the Grove Mountains is 0.5-3.5Ma. No remnants of glaciations are found on the soil sites of Mount Harding, which suggests that the Antarctic glaciations have not reached the soil sites since at least 0.5Ma, and the ice cap was not much higher than present, even during the Last Glacial Maximum. The average altitude of the contact line of level of blue ice and outcrop is 2050m, and the altitude of soil area is 2160m. The relative height deviation is about 110m, so the soils have developed and preserved until today. The parental material of the soils originated from alluvial sedimentary of baserocks nearby. Sporepollen were extracted from the soils, arbor pollen grains are dominant by Pinus and Betula, as well as a small amount Quercus, Juglans, Tilia and Artemisia etc. Judging from the shape and colour, the sporepollen group is likely attributed to Neogene or Pliocene in age. This indicates that there had been a warm period during the Neogene in the Grove Mountains, East Antarctica.