Simultaneous enumeration of diatom, protozoa and meiobenthos from marine sediments using Ludox-QPS method

The Ludox-QPS method is a newly developed technique, which combines the Ludox HS 40 density centrifugation and quantitative protargol stain, to enumerate marine ciliates with good taxonomic resolution. We tested the method for simultaneous enumeration of diatoms, protozoa and meiobenthos and compared its extraction efficiency for meiobenthos with that of the routine Ludox-TM centrifugation and a modified protocol using Ludox HS 40. We conducted the evaluation with a sample size of 8.3 ml each from sandy, muddy-sand and muddy sediments collected from the intertidal area of the Yellow Sea in summer 2006 and spring 2007. The Ludox-QPS method not only produced high extraction efficiencies of 97 +/- 1.3% for diatoms and 97.6 +/- 0.8% for ciliates, indicating a reliable enumeration for eukaryotic microbenthos, but also produced excellent extraction efficiencies of on average 97.3% for total meiobenthos, 97.9% for nematodes and 97.8% for copepods from sands, muddy sands and mud. By contrast, the routine Ludox-TM centrifugation obtained only about 74% of total meiobenthos abundance with one extraction cycle, and the modified Ludox HS 40 centrifugation yielded on average 93% of total meiobenthos: 89.4 +/- 2.0% from sands, 93 +/- 4.1% from muddy sands and 97.1 +/- 3.0% from mud. Apart from the sediment type, sample volume was another important factor affecting the extraction efficiency for meiobenthos. The extraction rate was increased to about 96.4% when using the same modified Ludox centrifugation for a 4 ml sediment sample. Besides the excellent extraction efficiency, the Ludox-QPS method obtained higher abundances of meiobenthos, in particular nematodes, than the routine Ludox centrifugation, which frequently resulted in an uncertain loss of small meiobenthos during the sieving process. Statistical analyses demonstrated that there were no significant differences between the meiobenthos communities revealed by the Ludox-QPS method and the modified Ludox HS 40 centrifugation, showing the high efficiency of the Ludox-QPS method for simultaneous enumeration of diatom, protozoa and meiobenthos. Moreover, the comparatively high taxonomic resolution of the method, especially for diatoms and ciliates, makes it feasible to investigate microbial ecology at community level.

Expert system for elucidation of structures of organic compounds (ESESOC) - Algorithm on stereoisomer generation

An algorithm for enumeration of stereoisomers due to asymmetric carbon, C=C double bond and so on has been developed. It consists of three steps. The output of stereoisomers can be represented by 2.5-dimensional connection table.

PRINCIPLES FOR STRUCTURE GENERATION OF ORGANIC ISOMERS FROM MOLECULAR FORMULA

An expert system for the elucidation of the structure of organic compounds (ESESOC) has been developed. The heart of the ESESOC is formed by the structure generator as an integral part, which receives the specific type of information (molecular formula, s

Development of rRNA and rDNA-targeted probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization to detect Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae)

Heterosigma akashiwo (Hada) is a fragile, fish-killing alga. Efforts to understand and prevent blooms due to this harmful species to mitigate the impact on aquaculture require the development of methods for rapid and precise identification and quantification, so that adequate warning of a harmful algal bloom may be given. Here, we report the development and application of rRNA and rDNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to aid in the detection and enumeration of H. akashiwo. The designed probes were species specific, showing no cross-reactivity with four common HAB causative species: Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg, P. minimum (Pavillard) Schiller, Alexandrium tarmarense (Lebour) Balech, and Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve, or with four other microalgae, including Gymnodinium sp. Stein, Platy-monas cordiformis (Karter) Korsch, Skeletonema sp.1 Greville and Skeletonema sp.2. The rRNA-targeted probe hybridized to cytoplasmic rRNA, showing strong green fluorescence throughout the whole cell, while cells labeled by rDNA-targeted probe exhibited exclusively fluorescent nucleus. The detection protocols were optimized and could be completed within an hour. For rRNA and rDNA probes, about a corresponding 80% and 70% of targeted cells could be identified and quantified during the whole growth circle, despite the inapparent variability in the average probe reactivity. The established FISH was proved promising for specific, rapid, precise, and quantitative detection of H. akashiwo. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

链式可变形机器人的构形与运动研究

本文的研究内容围绕中国科学院创新基金和GUCAS-BHPB基金资助的项目“可变形机器人的研究”展开，其目的是研制具有较强环境适应能力和高机动性能的可变形移动机器人系统，为我国在灾难救援和特种作业等应用领域提供技术储备。论文首先对可变形机器人的研究现状进行了概述，接下来展开了三个方面的研究工作：平台方面，提出了一种新型可变形链式结构，并进行了结构设计和实验验证；构形方面，提出了基于相似理论的构形研究方法，对链式可变形机器人的构形设计和构形转化方法进行了研究；运动性能方面，通过理论和实验分析了链式可变形履带模块机器人不同构形的转向性能、越障性能和倾翻稳定性能等。各种用于非结构环境的移动机器人机构中，模仿生物蛇原型的链式机构由于具有多于确定空间位置和姿态所需的自由度，能够有效、迅速、可靠地响应许多复杂的作业任务，但是该类系统具有转向半径大和侧向稳定性差等缺点。在非结构环境中，机器人需要通过“以变应变”才能够应对复杂多变的任务和环境。因此，论文基于偏置关节的思想，提出了一种形态和结构均能够变化的新型链式结构。机器人的单个标准模块由模块本体、连接臂和偏置关节等组成。偏置关节避免了模块间的运动干涉，扩大了机器人模块间的相对运动空间。机器人模块的数量可以根据实际需要选择，机器人通过变形可以产生多种构形，同时每种构形又具有多种步态以适应作业任务的需要。根据变形机理，研制了链式可变形机器人样机，并对样机进行了相应的原理验证实验。链式可变形机器人构形的复杂性随着模块数量和构形数量的增加呈指数增长，增加了构形设计和构形控制的难度。针对构形设计和构形转化问题，本文基于相似理论，提出了构形研究的一般分析方法，并将其归纳成为：表达(Expression)、计数(Enumeration)、评价(Evaluation)和有效性(Efficiency)等四个方面的问题(简称“Four-E Problem”)。在构形设计方面，根据模块的物理结构和邻接关系提出了用构形矩阵来表达机器人结构的拓扑信息，并在仿真环境下进行有效的描述；提出了基于组合计数原理的递归算法用于多模块可变形机器人非同构构形的计数、枚举，并根据构形矩阵所表征的拓扑信息对构形进行评价；最后根据仿真结果，给出了可变形机器人的构形设计示例。在构形转化方面，论文利用图论中的基本思想和原理对机器人的构形和构形网络进行了建模，对构形转化的路径进行了计算，对构形转化的最佳路径和中心构形的选择进行了分析；以三模块可变形机器人的构形网络为例，证实了该方法的可行性。履带式移动机器人的运动能力涉及的问题很多，包括接地比压、驱动能力、地面阻力、启动特性、转向能力、越障能力、平顺性和倾翻稳定性等。本文主要研究链式可变形履带模块机器人不同构形的平面转向特性、系统越障性能和倾翻稳定性能等。论文首先对链式可变形履带模块机器人单模块(单履带)的接地比压分布进行了研究，并对接地比压的核心区域进行了分析。在复杂的环境中，机器人运动的路径多由弯曲的道路组成，转向性能是其改变运动方向的一种重要能力。转向形式通常有滑移转向和铰接转向两种，分别适用不同的构形。论文参照杨红旗模型和Kitano模型分别对链式可变形双模块机器人和链式可变形三模块机器人不同构形下的滑移转向和铰接转向进行了理论和实验分析。移动机器人的越障性能是机器人本体和环境相互作用时所产生的一种综合特性。论文分析了链式可变形机器人系统的斜坡爬行性能、沟壑爬行性能、楼梯爬行性能和倾翻稳定性能。考虑到城市环境中，楼梯是最为典型的障碍物之一，论文重点对履带式移动机器人在踢面爬升、踢面翻越和坡度线爬行等阶段的运动条件、运动性能和影响因素进行了分析。在非结构环境中，大多数情况是坎坷不平的地面和复杂的三维地形，机器人的倾翻稳定性(或者说是抗倾翻能力)非常重要。根据Iagnemma和Papadopoulos提出的稳定性分析方法，定义机器人的倾翻稳定锥，对履带式可变形机器人变形过程中的倾翻稳定性进行了综合判定，同时通过仿真比较了机器人三种对称构形在仰俯、倾斜和偏转等组合干扰下的倾翻稳定性。稳定锥方法，为可变形机器人的倾翻问题提供了有效的理论分析手段，同时稳定锥方法还可以适用于其它轮式或腿式移动机器人的稳定性分析。理论分析和实验表明，本文研制的履带驱动链式可变形机器人平台，具有多种构形和步态以适应不同的环境和任务，具有废墟、砾石、草地、沙地、楼梯、坡度和管道等城市或野外环境的通过能力。可变形机器人机构灵巧、结构紧凑、便于携带，它不仅能够用于救援、消防、公安和环保等领域，在星球探测、国防安全等方面也有着潜在的应用前景。