Post-cyclic Strength Degradation of Undisturbed and Remolded Marine Silty Clay

A series of static and cyclic-static tri-axial compression tests under consolidated-undrained conditions are carried out to study the characteristics of post-cyclic strength of the undisturbed and the remolded samples of marine silty clay. It is found that the post-cyclic monotonic strength decreases if the cyclic strain or pore pressure is over a certain value. The maximum degradation is 10% for undisturbed samples while 70% for remolded ones. The relationship between normalized undrained shear strength and apparent overconsolidation ratio, which is determined by the excess pore pressure induced by cyclic loading, is also established. Static consolidated-undrained tests on overconsolidated remolded samples are also performed. It is proposed that the static consolidated-undrained tests may be substituted for the cyclic-static consolidated-undrained tests if the post-cyclic strength degradation of remolded silty clay is needed to be evaluated simply.

Characterization of TRPC2, an Essential Genetic Component of VNS Chemoreception, Provides Insights into the Evolution of Pheromonal Olfaction in Secondary-Adapted Marine Mammals

Pheromones are chemical cues released and sensed by individuals of the same species, which are of major importance in regulating reproductive and social behaviors of mammals. Generally, they are detected by the vomeronasal system (VNS). Here, we first investigated and compared an essential genetic component of vomeronasal chemoreception, that is, TRPC2 gene, of four marine mammals varying the degree of aquatic specialization and related terrestrial species in order to provide insights into the evolution of pheromonal olfaction in the mammalian transition from land to water. Our results based on sequence characterizations and evolutionary analyses, for the first time, show the evidence for the ancestral impairment of vomeronasal pheromone signal transduction pathway in fully aquatic cetaceans, supporting a reduced or absent dependence on olfaction as a result of the complete adaptation to the marine habitat, whereas the amphibious California sea lion was found to have a putatively functional TRPC2 gene, which is still under strong selective pressures, reflecting the reliance of terrestrial environment on chemical recognition among the semiadapted marine mammals. Interestingly, our study found that, unlike that of the California sea lion, TRPC2 genes of the harbor seal and the river otter, both of which are also semiaquatic, are pseudogenes. Our data suggest that other unknown selective pressures or sensory modalities might have promoted the independent absence of a functional VNS in these two species. In this respect, the evolution of pheromonal olfaction in marine mammals appears to be more complex and confusing than has been previously thought. Our study makes a useful contribution to the current understanding of the evolution of pheromone perception of mammals in response to selective pressures from an aquatic environment.

Halichondria sulfonic acid, a new HIV-1 inhibitory guanidino-sulflonic acid, and halistanol sulfate isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria rugosa Ridley & Dendy

A new sulfur-containing guanidino derivative, halichondria sulfonic acid (1) showing anti-HIV-1 activity, and halistanol trisulfate (2) with anti-tumor activity have been isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria rugosa Ridley & Dendy collected in the

A beta-galactose-specific lectin isolated from the marine worm Chaetopterus variopedatus possesses anti-HIV-1 activity

A 30 kDa beta-galactose-specific lectin named CVL was isolated from the polychaete marine worm Chaetopterus variopedatus (Annelida) and its anti-HIV-1 activity in vitro was determined. Results showed that CVL inhibited cytopathic effect induced by HIV-1 a

Differential selection on gene translation efficiency between the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii and yeasts

Background: The filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii grows into a multicellular mycelium that is distinct from the unicellular morphology of its closely related yeast species. It has been proposed that genes important for cell cycle regulation play central

Impacts of CO2 enrichment on growth and photosynthesis in freshwater and marine diatoms

The physiological responses of Nitzschia palea Kutzing, a freshwater diatom, to elevated CO2 were investigated and compared with those of a marine diatom, Chaetoceros muelleri Lemmermann previously reported. Elevated CO2 concentration to 700 mu l/L increased the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and lowered the pH in the cultures of N. palea, thus enhancing the growth by 4%-20% during the whole growth period. High CO2-grown N. palea cells showed lower levels of dark respiration rates and higher I (k) values. Light-saturated photosynthetic rates and photosynthetic efficiencies decreased in N. palea with the doubling CO2 concentration in airflow to the bottom of cultures, although the doubling CO2 concentration in airflow to the surface cultures had few effects on these two photosynthetic parameters. N. palea cells were found to be capable of using HCO3 (-) in addition to gaseous CO2, and the CO2 enrichment decreased their affinity for HCO3 (-) and CO2. Although doubled CO2 level would enhance the biomass of N. palea and C. muelleri to different extents, compared with the marine diatom, it had a significant effect on the specific growth rates of N. palea. In addition, the responses of photosynthetic parameters of N. palea to doubled CO2 concentration were almost opposite to those of C. muelleri.