Spatial distribution of benthic algae in the Gangqu River, Shangrila, China

This study consisted of sampling benthic algae at 32 sites in the Gangqu River, an important upstream tributary of the Yangtze River. Our aims were to characterize the benthic algae communities and relationships with environmental variables. Among the 162 taxa observed, Achnanthes linearis and Achnanthes lanceolata var. elliptica were the dominant species (17.10% and 14.30% of the total relative abundance, respectively). Major gradients and principal patterns of variation within the environmental variables were detected by principal component analysis (PCA). Then non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) divided all the sites into three groups, which were validated by multi-response permutation procedures (MRPP). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that three environmental variables (TN, TDS, and TP) significantly affected the distribution of benthic algae. Weighted averaging regression and cross-calibration produced strong models for predicting TN and TDS concentration, which enabled selection of algae taxa as potentially sensitive indicators of certain TN and TDS levels: for TN, Achnanthes lanceolata, Achnanthes lanceolata var. elliptica, and Cymbella ventricosa var. semicircularis; for TDS, Cocconeis placentula, Cymbella alpina var. minuta, and Fragilaria virescens. The present study represents an early step in establishing baseline conditions. Further monitoring is suggested to gain a better understanding of this region.

黄土高原子午岭地区植被恢复过程中的土壤质量评价

选择黄土高原子午岭地区植被自然恢复1~140 a不同年限的阳坡坡地为研究对象,通过相关性分析筛选土壤表层(0~20 cm)16项表征土壤物理、化学、生物学性质的指标,运用主成分分析计算土壤质量综合指数,评价子午岭地区植被恢复过程对土壤质量的影响。结果表明:土壤总孔隙度、平均重量直径(MWD)、有机质质量分数、速效磷质量分数、蔗糖酶活性、碱性磷酸酶活性、真菌数量、微生物总量构成土壤质量评价指标体系;土壤质量综合指数随植被恢复年限的增加而增加;植被自然恢复1~140 a间,土壤质量综合指数变化范围为0.155 9~0.850 9,较裸露休闲地增加4.2~27.5倍;根据土壤质量综合指数变化规律,可将140 a植被恢复过程中的土壤质量演变过程分为3个阶段,即植被恢复初期(1~20 a)的土壤质量综合指数呈快速增长,植被恢复中期(20~40 a)的土壤质量综合指数呈波动性增长,植被恢复后期(40~140 a)的土壤质量综合指数呈稳定增长。植被演替过程中不同植被生活型土壤质量综合指数表现为乔木林地>灌木林地>草地。

Early effects of low dose C-12(6+) ion or X-ray irradiation on human peripheral blood lymphocytes

The aim of this study was to estimate the acute effects of low dose C-12(6+) ions or X-ray radiation on human immune function. The human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL) of seven healthy donors were exposed to 0.05 Gy C-12(6+) ions or X-ray radiation and cell responses were measured at 24 h after exposure. The cytotoxic activities of HPBL were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT); the percentages of T and NK cells subsets were detected by flow cytometry; mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interferon (IFN)-gamma were examined by real time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR); and these cytokines protein levels in supematant of cultured cells were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The results showed that the cytotoxic activity of HPBL, mRNA expression of IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in HPBL and their protein levels in supernatant were significantly increased at 24 h after exposure to 0.05 Gy C-12(6+) ions radiation and the effects were stronger than observed for X-ray exposure. However, there was no significant change in the percentage of T and NK cells subsets of HPBL. These results suggested that 0.05 Gy high linear energy transfer (LET) C-12(6+) radiation was a more effective approach to host immune enhancement than that of low LET X-ray. We conclude that cytokines production might be used as sensitive indicators of acute response to LDL (C) 2009 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plane strain asymptotic fields for cracks terminating at the interface between elastic and pressure-sensitive dilatant materials

The plane strain asymptotic fields for cracks terminating at the interface between elastic and pressure-sensitive dilatant material are investigated in this paper. Applying the stress-strain relation for the pressure-sensitive dilatant material, we have obtained an exact asymptotic solution for the plane strain tip fields for two types of cracks, one of which lies in the pressure-sensitive dilatant material and the other in the elastic material and their tips touch both the bimaterial interface. In cases, numerical results show that the singularity and the angular variations of the fields obtained depend on the material hardening exponent n, the pressure sensitivity parameter mu and geometrical parameter lambda.

Phase-sensitive atom localization in a loop Lambda-system

The behaviour of the Lambda-system has been studied theoretically in the context of atom localization. In addition to the probe field and the standing wave driving field, a microwave field is introduced to couple the two lower states, and as a result our Lambda-system forms a closed loop. Therefore phase-sensitive atom localization is expected. Indeed by appropriate choice of the relative phase between three fields, an improvement by a factor of 2 has been found in the detection probability of atoms within the sub-wavelength domain of the standing wave. The effect of other parameters is also investigated.

Highly sensitive wave-front sensor with a non-zero-order phase plate

We propose a novel highly sensitive wave front detection method for a quick check of a flat wave front by taking advantage of a non-zero-order pi phase plate that yields a non-zero-order diffraction pattern. When a light beam with a flat wave front illuminates a phase plate, the zero-order intensity is zero. When there is a slight distortion of the wave front, the zero-order intensity increases. The ratio of first-order intensity to that of zero-order intensity is used as the criterion with which to judge whether the wave front under test is flat, eliminating the influence of background light. Experimental results demonstrate that this method is efficient, robust, and cost-effective and should be highly interesting for a quick check of a flat wave front of a large-aperture laser beam and adaptive optical systems. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America.

A wideband sensitive holographic photopolymer

A novel wideband sensitive dry holographic photopolymer sensitized by rose bengal (RB) and methylene blue (MB) is fabricated, the holographic storage characteristics of which are investigated under different exposure wavelengths. The result shows that the sensitive spectral band exceeds 200 nm in visible light range, the maximum diffraction efficiency under different exposure wavelengths is more than 40% and decreases with the decrease of exposure wavelength, the exposure sensitivity is not change with the exposure wavelength. This photopolymer is appropriate for wavelength multiplexing or multi-wavelength recording in digital holographic storage.

A humidity-resistant highly sensitive holographic photopolymerizable dry film

A new humidity-resistant highly sensitive acrylamide-based photopolymeric holographic recording material has been developed. The photopolymer is resistant to the humidity of environment. Diffraction efficiencies near 50% are obtained with exposure energy of 60 mJ/cm(2) in materials of 150 mu m. thickness. Diphenyl iodonium chloride is added to the material and can increase the exposure sensitivity by a factor of more than 4 (to about 28 mJ/cm(2)). An image has been successfully stored in the material with a small distortion. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Edge-defined, film-fed growth (EFG) technique for the preparation of alpha-Al2O3 : C crystal with highly sensitive thermoluminescence response

In this work, alpha-Al2O3:C, a highly sensitive thermoluminescence dosimetry crystal, was grown by the EFG method in which a graphite heating unit and shield acted as the carbon source during the growth process. The optical, luminescent properties and dosimetric characteristics of the crystal were investigated. The as-grown crystal shows a single glow peak at 536 K, which is associated with Cr3+ ions. After annealing in H-2 at 1673 K for 80 h, the crystal shows a single glow peak at 460 K and a blue emission band at 415 nm. The thermoluminescent response of the annealed crystal shows linear-sublinear-saturation characteristics in the dose range from 5 x 10(-6) to 100 Gy.

Growth of highly sensitive thermoluminescent crystal alpha-Al2O3 : C by the temperature gradient technique

In this work, an alpha-Al2O3:C crystal with highly sensitive thermoluminescence was directly grown by the temperature gradient technique (TGT) using Al2O3 and graphite powders as raw materials. The optical and luminescent properties and the dosimetric characteristics of the crystal were investigated. An as-grown alpha-Al2O3:C crystal shows a single glow peak at 462 K and a blue emission peak at 415 nm. The thermoluminescence (TL) response of the crystal shows a linear-sublinear-saturation characteristic. In the dose range from 5 x 10(-6) to 10Gy, the alpha-Al2O3:C crystal shows excellent linearity, and saturation was observed at about 30Gy. The sensitivity of the crystal decreases as the heating rate increases. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth of alpha-Al2O3:C crystal with highly sensitive optically stimulated luminescence

In this work. an alpha-Al2O3:C crystal was directly grown by the temperature gradient technique (TGT) using Al2O3 and graphite powders as the raw materials. The optical, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) properties and dosimetric characteristics of as-grown crystal were investigated. As-grown alpha-Al2O3:C crystal shows strong absorption band at 205, 230 and 256 nm. Three-dimensional thermoluminescence (TL) emission spectrum of the crystal shows a single emission peak at similar to 415 nm. The OSL decay curve can be fitted to two exponentials, the faster component and the slower component. The OSL response of the crystal shows a linear-sublinear-saturation characteristic. As-grown alpha-Al2O3:C crystal shows excellent linearity in the dose range from 5 x 10(-6) to 50 Gy. For doses higher than the saturation dose (100 Gy). the OSL sensitivity decreases as the dose increases. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.