How polluted is the Yangtze River? Water quality downstream from the Three Gorges Dam

The concentrations of major anions and cations, nitrogen and phosphorus, dissolved and particulate trace elements, and organic pollutants were determined for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Changjiang) from below the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) to the mouth at Shanghai in November 2006. The concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) was constant at a low level of 6-8 mu gP/L, but the concentration of nitrate (NO3-) approximately doubled downstream and was closely correlated with K+. This translated to a daily load of well over 1000 It of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) at Datong. The average concentrations of dissolved Pb (0.078 +/- 0.023 mu g/L), Cd (0.024 +/- 0.009 mu g/L), Cr(0.57 +/- 0.09 mu g/L), Cu (1.9 +/- 0.7 mu g/L), and Ni (0.50 +/- 0.49 mu g/L) were comparable with those in other major world rivers, while As (3.3 +/- 1.3 mu g/L) and Zn (1.5 +/- 0.6 mu g/L) were higher by factors of 5.5 and 2.5, respectively. The trace element contents of suspended particles of As (31 +/- 28 mu g/g), Pb (83 +/- 34 mu g/g), and Ni (52 +/- 16 mu g/g) were close to maximum concentrations recommended for rivers by the European Community (EC). The average concentrations of Cd (2.6 +/- 1.6 mu g/g), Cr (185 +/- 102 mu g/g), Cu (115 +/- 106 mu g/g), and Zn (500 +/- 300 mu g/g) exceeded the EC standards by a factor of two, and Hg (4.4 +/- 4.7 mu g/g) by a factor of 4 to 5. Locally occurring peak concentrations exceed these values up to fourfold, among them the notorious elements As, Hg, and Tl. All dissolved and particulate trace element concentrations were higher than estimates made twenty years ago [Zhang, J., Geochemistry of trace metals from Chinese river/estuary systems: an overview. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 1995; 41: 631-658.]. The enormous loads of anthropogenic pollutants disposed to the river were diluted by the large water discharge of the Yangtze even during the lowest flow resulting in the relatively low concentration levels of trace elements and organic pollutants observed. We estimated loads of e.g. As, Pb and Ni to the East China Sea to be about 4600 kg As d(-1), 3000 kg Pb d(-1), and 2000 kg Ni d(-1). About 6000 t d(-1) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was delivered into the sea at the time of our cruise. We tested for 236 organic pollutants, and only the most infamous were found to be barely above detection limits. We estimated that the load of chlorinated compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, and PAHs were between 500 and 3500 kg d(-1). We also detected eight herbicides entering the estuary with loads of 5-350 kg d(-1). The pollutant load, even when at low concentrations, are considerable and pose an increasing threat to the health of the East China Sea ecosystem. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sixteen polymorphic microsatellites in bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) and cross-amplification in silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)

A (GT)(n) enriched partial genomic library of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) was constructed by employing the (fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats) FIASCO protocol. Sixteen loci exhibited polymorphism with two to seven alleles/locus (mean 3.263) in a test population and the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.100 to 0.690 (mean 0.392). Eleven of the 16 bighead carp microsatellites were found to be also polymorphic in silver carp. These polymorphic loci should provide sufficient level of genetic diversity to evaluate population structure of bighead carp.

Quantum phase transitions in the S=1/2 distorted diamond chain

By means of the second derivative of the ground-state and first-excited energy, the quantum phase transitions (QPTs) for the distorted diamond chain (DDC) with ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic frustrated interactions and the trimerized case are investigated, respectively. Our results show the plentiful quantum phases owing to the spin interaction competitions in the model. Meanwhile, by using the transfer-matrix renormalization-group technique, we study the two-site thermal entanglement of the DDC model in the thermodynamic limit for a further understanding of the QPTs.

High-power AlGaInP laser diodes with current-injection-free region near the laser facet

A high-power AlGaInP laser diode with current-injection-free region near the facet is successfully fabricated by metaorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using the (100) direction n-GaAs substrates with a misorientation of 15 deg toward the (011) direction. The maximum continuous wave output power is about 90 mW for the traditional structure. In comparison, the maximum output power is enhanced by about 67%, and achieves 150 mW for LDs with current-infection-free regions. The fundamental transverse-mode operation is obtained up to 70 mW. Output characteristics at high temperatures are also improved greatly for an LD with a current-injection-free region, and the highest operation temperature is 70 C at 50 mW without kink. The threshold current is about 33 mA, the operation current and the slope efficiency at 100 mW are 120 mA and 0.9 mW/mA, respectively. The lasing wavelength is 658.4 nm at room-temperature 50 mW. (c) 2006 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Fracture properties of PECVD silicon nitride thin films by long rectangular memrane bulge test

Bulge test combined with a refined load-deflection model for long rectangular membrane was applied to determine the mechanical and fracture properties of PECVD silicon nitride (SiNx) thin films. Plane-strain modulus E-ps prestress s(0), and fracture strength s(max) of SiNx thin films deposited both on bare Si substrate and on SiO2-topped Si substrate were extracted. The SiNx thin films on different substrates possess similar values of E-ps and s(0) but quite different values of s(max). The statistical analysis of fracture strengths were performed by Weibull distribution function and the fracture origins were further predicted.

掺Er3+玻璃上转换发光特性研究

采用高温熔制工艺制备了掺Er3+硅酸盐玻璃，应用Judd-Ofelt 理论计算了Er3+光谱参数， 发现玻璃中含有0.15 mol%Er2O3 时各参数取得最大值；分析了玻璃的吸收光谱随Er3+离子浓度的变 化关系；上转换光谱分析表明在522 nm、544 nm、658 nm 处有较强的绿光和红光，分别对应于 2H11/2→4I15/2、4 S3/2→4I15/2、4 F9/2→4I15/2 的跃迁，且522 nm 绿光强度和658nm 红光强度要远大于544 nm 绿光强度. 分析了上转换发光强度随泵浦功率和Er3+离子浓度的变化关系，揭示了上转换发光机制 主要是激发态吸收和能量转换，且均为双光子吸收过程.

半干旱区施氮和灌溉条件下覆膜对春玉米产量及氮素平衡的影响

以典型半干旱区干湿砂质新成土(Ust-Sandic Entisols)为供试土壤进行田间试验,研究地膜覆盖、施氮及补充灌水量对春玉米(Zea maysL.)产量、土壤矿质氮(NO3--N和NH4+-N)及氮素平衡的影响。结果表明,0—100 cm土体范围内,随着土层加深,播前和收获后土壤NO3--N含量呈降低趋势,NH4+-N有所增加,但变幅不大;总矿质氮量(NO3--N和NH4+-N)表现为下降。说明地膜覆盖和施氮并没有使NO3--N深层累积量增加,这可能与土壤本身供氮能力严重不足有关。与不施氮相比,施氮各处理氮肥表观损失量增加;与不覆膜相比,作物氮素累积量比不覆膜显著增加(P<0.05)。在低灌(80 mm)覆膜和高灌(160 mm)覆膜条件下,玉米的氮肥利用率均比不覆膜提高了18.8%,说明覆膜低灌在相同施氮条件下,可节约80 mm灌水。但低灌(80 mm)与高灌(160 mm)不覆膜间氮肥利用率差异不显著,表明在相同施氮条件下,覆膜可有效提高氮肥利用率,减少氮素损失。综合考虑子粒产量和氮肥利用率,"覆膜+补灌80 mm+施氮90 kg/hm2"可能为本试验条件下较优的栽培模式。

猕猴胚胎干细胞培养以及定向分化成神经细胞的研究

灵长类胚胎干细胞（Es）的研究不仅对理解生殖发育生物学的基础理论、而且对实现细胞替代治疗具有重要意义。当前灵长类ES细胞还有很多问题需要解决，如ES细胞培养体系的改进、ES细胞定向分化成高纯度特定组织细胞的可能性、有效性以及分化机制等问题。本文一方面概述了灵长类ES细胞相关领域的研究进展；另一方面，以称猴胚胎干细胞（rEs）为材料，在改善rES细胞的培养体系、提高其定向分化成神经前体细胞（NPs）和少突细胞的比率进行了研究。实验采用同源称猴细胞系作为饲养层培养rES细胞，并在此基础上利用肝生长因子（HGF）和GS诱导rES细胞定向分化成高纯度的NPs和少突细胞，并评价了NPs是否具有移植功能。主要结论如下：1）四种称猴细胞系（MOF、MESF、MFG和CMESF）可作为饲养层支持rES细胞的生长，保持ES自我更新的能力和分化的多能性。而且这几种称猴饲养层支持ES细胞生长的能力存在明显的差异，进一步的研究表明这些差异主要是由于基因表达种类以及表达量上的差异而导致的。2）采用HGF和GS作为诱导因子添加到NDCM液中，诱导rES细胞分化成可移植的NPs。实验结果如下：单独的HGF或GS仅能诱导ES细胞分化成65±8.3％和69±14％NPs，而HGF和GS的联合使用NPs的比率达到88.3±8.1％，进一步纯化后获得98±1.2％的NPs。获得的NPs能在体内、外分化成三个谱系神经细胞，并能整合到大鼠脑部，发生迁移和分化。25％的NPs细胞8周后仍保持存活状态，其中65-80％的细胞发生了不同程度的迁移，而且细胞在脑部的分化种类以及数目与细胞在体内所处的微环境具有重要的关系。亚克隆实验也进一步证明采用HGF＋GS获得的部分单个NPs具有神经干细胞的特性，也能在体内、外分化成三个谱系的神经细胞，而另外的却只能分化成其中的一、两种谱系的细胞。3）利用五步法，ES细胞能分化成75±6.8％的少突祖细胞和81土8．6％的成熟少突细胞。HGF通过抑制NPs的凋亡和缩短NPs的复制周期，共同促进NPs的增殖。HGF也能诱导HGF+G5获得的NPs分化成少突祖细胞和成熟少突细胞，并且促进少突细胞成熟。而且HGF促进NPs分化成少突细胞的能力受到GS的调控，单独HGF作用将导致ES细胞分化成神经元。本实验的结果为促进rES细胞相关领域的研究，以及ES细胞在神经系统疾病临床应用上提供信息，也为研究NPs和少突细胞的发育提供典型的细胞模型。

Characteristics of InAs epilayers for Hall effect devices grown on GaAs substrates by MBE

InAs thin films with good characteristics were grown on GaAs (0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy indicated that most of the threading dislocations formed by the interaction of misfit dislocations are annihilated above a small thickness. The high electron mobility and small temperature dependence of InAs epilayers are useful for magnetic sensors which is demonstrated by the properties of Hall effect devices.

新奇半导体低维结构的自组织生长

文章介绍了自组织生长半导体量子线、量子点和量子环的进展，同时介绍了这些低维半导体材料在光电子和通信等领域应用情况。此外，对这些材料的一些测试方法也进行了介绍．

大功率GaInP／AlGaInP半导体激光器

制备了大功率实折射率GaInP／AlGaInP压应变分别限制量子阱激光器．所用外延材料在15°偏角的GaAs衬底上由有机金属气相外延一次外延生长得到．制备的激光器具有双沟脊波导结构，条宽和腔长分别为3和900μm，前后端面分别蒸镀5％的增透膜和95％的高反膜．分析了室温连续激射时激光器的光电输出性能．阈值电流的典型值为32mA，光学灾变阈值为88mW，功率为80mW时的工作电流为110mA，斜率效率为1W／A，串联电阻为3Ω．基横模光输出功率可达60mW，60mW时的平行结和垂直结的远场发散角分别为10°和32°，激射波长为658．4nm．器件的内损耗为4．1cm^-1，内量子效率达80％，透明电流密度为648A／cm^2．