Cys-92, Cys-95, and the C-terminal 12 residues of the Vibrio harveyi ferric uptake regulator (Fur) are functionally inessential

Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a global regulator involved in multiple aspects of bacterial life. The gene encoding the Vibrio harveyi Fur (Fur(vh)) was cloned from a pathogenic V. harveyi strain isolated from diseased fish. Furvh shares 77% overall sequence identity with the Escherichia coli Fur (Fur(Ec)) and could complement a mutant of Fur(Ec). Like Fur(Ec), Fur(Vh), possesses two cysteine residues at positions 92 and 95, yet unlike Fur(Ec), in which these cysteine residues constitute part of the metal ion coordination site and hence are vital to the repressor activity, C92 and C95 of Fur(Vh) proved to be functionally inessential. Further study identified a Vibrio Fur signature sequence, which is preserved in all the ten Vibrio Fur proteins that have been discovered to date but in none of the non-vibrio Fur proteins. Site-directed and random mutation analyses of the signature residues, the cysteine residues, and seven highly charged amino acid residues indicated that D9, H32, C137, and K138 of Fur(vh) are functionally important but D9, C137, and K138 can be replaced by more than one functional substitutes. Systematic deletion analysis demonstrated that the C-terminal 12 residues of Fur(Vh) are functionally inessential. These results (i) indicated that the activation mechanism, or certain aspects of which, of Fur(Vh) is possibly different from that of Fur(Ec); and (ii) suggested that it is not very likely that the C-terminal 12 residues play any significant role in the activation or stability of Fur(Vh); and (iii) provided insights into the potential function of the local structure involving C137 and K138.

Pervasive autocorrelation of the chemical index of alteration in sedimentary profiles and its palaeoenvironmental implications

The chemical index of alteration has been used widely for reconstruction of the palaeoclimate. However, the mechanisms and environmental factors controlling the chemical index of alteration of sediments are not yet fully understood. In this study, autocorrelations of the chemical index of alteration in nine sedimentary profiles, from both the land and the sea, spanning different geological times, are discussed. The sediments of these profiles have different origins (dust, fluvial or ocean sediments) and are from various climate situations and sedimentary environments. Autocorrelations of chemical index of alteration series are ubiquitously evident in all profiles. It is suggested here that autocorrelations may be caused by post-depositional changes such as persistent weathering and diagenesis. As a result, the chemical index of alteration may not reflect climatic conditions during the time of sediment deposition. This study strongly recommends the confirmation of the reliability and veracity of the chemical index of alteration before it is adopted to evaluate the weathering degree of parent rocks and to reconstruct the past climate. Significant autocorrelations in loess profiles were specifically observed, suggesting that the existing understanding of loess deposition in terms of climate conditions requires re-examination, and that previous reconstructions of rapid climate changes (for example, in centennial-millennial scales) should be treated with caution.

刺参Apostichopus japonicus (Selenka)耐高温品系选育的基础研究

刺参是目前支撑我国海水增养殖业高效、稳定、持续发展的重要物种之一，但该产业面临着种质匮乏、病害严重、养殖环境局部恶化和产品品质难以保证等诸多问题。本文围绕刺参增养殖过程中的种质苗种问题，以培育耐高温品系为研究目标，在评价我国沿海不同地理群体刺参及其子一代在热刺激条件下HSP70基因mRNA表达差异的基础上，以低纬度地理群体为亲本，经温度刺激后比较了幼体及幼参的生长及HSP70 mRNA表达差异，获得了性状优良的耐高温群体。主要研究结果如下： 1、研究了我国沿海刺参不同地理群体在热激后HSP70基因mRNA的表达差异，比较了在不同温度下不同地理群体幼参的生长特性。青岛、日照和养殖等低纬度群体成参HSP70基因mRNA表达变化较大连、长岛等高纬度群体明显；热激后低纬度群体幼参HSP70基因mRNA表达量较高纬度群体高；高温条件下，高纬度群体子一代成活率低生长。温度升高对高纬度群体生长的影响较大。 2、利用荧光实时定量PCR检测了HSP70基因在不同组织、不同温度、不同时间mRNA水平的表达差异。刺参的各组织都有HSP70的mRNA表达，且对热刺激都有应答。自然水温12℃时，在＋12℃温度刺激时刺参的呼吸树中的HSP70 mRNA水平较高；刺参成参、幼参呼吸树中HSP70基因的mRNA水平在热激后6-12h达到最高；低温刺激后HSP70 mRNA下调表达。 3、分别从受精卵和初耳幼体开始在不同温度下进行幼体培育， 27℃以上温度培育的刺参幼体，其生长和成活率显著低于24℃以下温度培育的幼体；不同起始刺激阶段和不同温度都是显著影响因子。从初耳幼体进行高温培育，幼体的变态受到明显影响，26℃以上温度培育幼体的变态率显著低于24℃以下培育温度。 4、以日照刺参为亲本，在26℃培育温度下获得了耐高温群体幼参，并从生长、HSP70mRNA水平的表达差异与常温培育的群体（普通群体）进行了比较。耐高温群体幼参在较高温度下成活率和HSP70mRNA表达水平明显高于普通群体，而二者在特定生长率随温度变化上没有差异。 5、在浙江苍南进行了选择群体耐高温能力和生长验证实验。耐温群体的温度耐受能力提高了0.7℃，进入夏眠时间延后15d左右。耐温刺参群体的特定生长率和成活率在3月温度回升后远高于对照组。

青藏茶藨子种子中的脂肪酸含量分析

用超临界萃取技术对青藏高原藏药特有植物青藏茶藨子种子中脂肪酸进行了萃取,其萃取率为12.0%.用毛细管气相色谱进行分离和分析,结果表明不饱和脂肪酸在90%以上.其中α-亚麻酸26.23%、γ-亚麻酸2.60%、亚油酸43.21%.

祁连山海北高寒草甸地区微气候特征的观测研究

对祁连山海北高寒草甸地区近夏至日微气象观测分析表明: (1) 14:00 (北京时,下同) 太阳总辐射瞬时值最高可达1061 W·m-2 , 净辐射、反射辐射、光合有效辐射和紫外辐射分别为670、218、380 和168 W·m-2 , 分别约为太阳总辐射的58 %、20 %、36 %和14 % , 6 月下旬日平均反射率约为0. 22 ; (2) 土壤热通量、感热通量和潜热通量瞬时值最大分别为91、274 和362 W·m-2 , 相应占净辐射的比例为20 %、38 %和42 %; (3) 地—气温度在一定范围的水平和垂直方向变化较为剧烈, 大气逆温约出现于20 :00 至次日11 :00 , 午夜01 :00 最强; (4)风速阵性强, 有显著日变化的时间性分布。

大别－苏鲁造山带与华北陆块东部岩石层三维速度结构

The 3-D velocity images of the crest and upper mantle beneath the region of 112° -124°E, 28°-39°N including the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt are reconstructed by using 36405 P-wave arrivals of 3437 regional and 670 distant earthquakes during the period from 1981 to 1996, and gridding the area of 0.5° * 0.5°. The results of tomography demonstrate that: 1. The results of tomographic imaging show a broad heterogeneity in P wave velocity structure for the lithosphere beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. 2. In the Dabie orogenic belt, the velocity patterns in the crust are different among various tectonic units. The Dabie and Qinling orogenic belts are remarkable in the tomographic images, and in mm the Hongan and Dabie blocks in the Dabie orogenic belt are also imaged very distinguishably. 3. A velocity (about 5.9～6.0 km/s) layer exists in the Dabie block at depth between 15～25 km, which is coincident with the low-resistance layer at the depth of 12-23 km, being inferred to be the tectonic detachment zone and suggesting that the extension detachment structure was formed in the middle crust. Beneath the southern and northerm Dabie tectonic units, the north-dipping high-velocity (at level of 6.5 ～ 6.6 km/s) block was developed in the crust, which might be correlated with the UHP rockswith low content of the meta-ultramafic rocks. This result is in agreement with the geological observation on the surface. 4. The velocity image at 40 km depth reveals the features at the top of mantle and the configuration of the Moho discontinuity. The depth of the Moho changes slightly along the trend of the orogenic belt. It in Hongan block is less than 40 km, but it is different in the western and eastern parts of the Dabie block, the former is more than 40 km, and the latter less than or equal to 40 km. The remnant of the mountain root exists between the Shangcheng-Macheng fault and the line of Huoshan-Yuexi-Yingshan in the Dabie orogenic belt, and beneath the southern and northern Dabie tectonic units. However, the thickness of the Moho is about 40 km and there is no obvious changes, which suggest that the Dabie orogenic belt has been experienced quite in the gravity equilibration. The Moho's depth in the Sulu is less than 40 km. 5. There is a dipping slab-like high-velocity body in the uppermost mantle. It is sandwiched by slow velocities and exists beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in the range of depths between the Moho discontinuity and 110 km at least. This high-velocity body outlines a picture of the slab interpreted as the remnant of the Triassic subducted YZ. 6. The Sulu orogenic belt displays "crocodilian" velocity structure, the upper crust of the Yangtze thrusted over the Huabei crest, and the Huabei crust indented into the Yangtze crust, where the ancient subduction zone of the Yangtze lithosphere located. Based on the previous geological data, this structure is not related with the collision between the Yangtze and Sino-Korean Blocks, but caused by the sinistral offset of the Tan-Lu Fault. Studied on the velocity structure of the eastern Huabei lithosphere indicates: 1. The 'present-day' lithosphere of the eastern Huabei is between 40-100 km thick with greatly thinned lithosphere around the Bohai Sea. Generally, thickness of the lithosphere in this region decreased eastwards. 2. The attenuation of the lithosphere is attributed to the strongly uplift of the asthenosphere. In the area between the Taihang Mountains and the Tan-Lu Fault, there is a 'lever' with red low velocity belt, it is clearly defined, transverse continuity, depth between 100-150 km, local variations visible, and an upwards trend towards the Bohai Sea. Generally, the velocity structure in the mantle beneath the lithosphere displays irregular column-shape consisting of alternating high and low velocities, and when cold high velocity ancient lithosphere connects with the hot low velocity mantle materials forming precipitous compact structure. More heat pathways from the mantle occur towards the Tan-Lu Fault. 3. The strongly irregular characteristics of the contact between the asthenosphere and the lithosphere is induced by the long-term hot, chemical erosion and alteration on the contact. 4. There are still preserved high velocity lithosphedc root beneath Huabei with 'block-shape' distribution and surrounded by hot materials. Results of our studies indicate that the evolution models of the eastern China mantle are characterized by the direct contact between the uplifted lithosphere and the Huabei Craton accompanying the upwelling of the deep mantle materials. At the contact betwen the lithosphere and the asthenosphere, the upwelled mantle materials replaced and altered the lower lithosphere forming the metasome through the hot and chemical modifications impacted on the Craton lithosphere, and changed it into the lithosphere gradually, resulting in the lithospheric thinning. Thus, the lithospheric thinning is the result of the upwelling of the asthenosphere.

华南地壳岩石弹性和变形性质的高温高压实验研究

The South continent of China lies to southeast of Eurasia block. It is an active area from the view of crust growth and continent spread and is a transition zone between continental crust and oceanic crust. The compressional wave velocities and anisotropies of typical crustal metamorphic rocks were determined at high temperature (up to 1000 ℃) and high pressure(up to 800MPa). The experimental results show that the velocities generally increase with pressure, and is unaffected by temperature up to around 550 ℃. But the velocities of all experimental samples start to drop above a temperature point. For an example, this greatly reduce the speed of wave propagation in amphibolite and serpentinite above 760 ℃ and above 550 ℃ respectively, which may be due to dehydrate of amphibole and serpentine. P-wave anisotropy coefficients of those rocks range from 2% to 10% at 800MPa and 500 ℃. The anisotropies decrease with increasing pressure at room temperature, but hardly change as function of temperature at constant 800MPa or 600MPa pressure. The average velocity of the six crustal rocks is 6.28km/s under the condition of 800MPa and 550 ℃, which is consistent with the result of deep seismic sounding data. Based on this experimental result, we deduce there may exist a lot of felsic granulites and amphibolites at the depth of 15-25km underground. With increasing temperature and pressure, the deformation behavior of the rocks undergoes from localized brittle fracture, semi-brittle deformation (cataclastic flow or semi-brittle faulting, semi-brittle flow) to homogeneous crystal-plastic flow. This transition is associated with mechanical behavior and micro-mechanism. It is very important to understanding earthquake source mechanics, the strength of the lithosphere and the style of deformation. The experiments were conducted at temperature of 600-1000 ℃, confining pressure of 500MPa, and stain rates of 10~(-4)-10~(-6) S~(-1). For fine-grained natural amphibolite, the results of experiments show that brittle faulting is major failure mode at temperature <600 ℃, but crystal-plastic deformation is dominate at temperature >800 ℃, and there is a transition with increasing temperature from sembrittle faulting to cataclastic flow and sembrittle flow at temperature of 670-750 ℃. For medium-grained natural Felsic granulite, the results of experiments show that brittle faulting is major failure mode at temperature <500 ℃, but crystal-plastic deformation is dominate at temperature >700 ℃, and there is a transition with increasing temperature from semibrittle faulting to cataclastic flow and sembrittle flow at temperature of 500-600 ℃.

Caratterizzazione geo-petrografica, petrologica e geochimica di rocce anatettiche del nord Sardegna

The High Grade Metamorphic Complex (HGMC) of Variscan basement of north Sardinia is characterized by the widespread of migmatites. This study is focused on two localities of NE Sardinia (Porto Ottiolu and Punta Sirenella) where ortho- and para-derivates migmatites outcrop. A geological and structural survey was carried out, leading to the realization of a geological schematic map of Punta Sirenella area. Several samples of different rocks were collected for petrographic, micro-structural minero-chemical and geochemical analyses. In the Porto Ottiolu area three main deformation phases have been identified; D1, characterized by tight folds with sub-horizontal axes, rarely preserved in paragneisses; D2, that produce a pervasive foliation oriented N100° 45°SW marked by biotite and sillimanite blastesis and locally transposed by shear zone oriented N170°; D3, late deformation phase caused symmetric folds with sub-horizontal axes with no axial plane schistosity. Leucosomes form pods and layers along S2 schistosity but also leucosomes along shear zones have been observed. In the Punta Sirenella area, three main deformation phases have been identified; D1, is manifested by the transposition of centimeter-sized leucosomes and is rarely observed in paragneisses were produce open folds with sub-vertical axes; D2, NW-SE oriented on whose XY plane three mineralogical lineation (quartz+plagioclase, fibrolite+quarz and muscovite) lie; D3, a ductile-brittle deformation phase that produce a mylonitc S3 foliation that locally become the most evident schistosity in the field oriented N140° steeply dipping toward NE. In both areas, leucosomes of sedimentary-derived migmatites are generally trondhjemitic pointing out for a H2O fluxed melting reaction, but also granitic leucosomes have been found, produced by muscovite dehydration melting. Leucosomes of migmatitic orthogneiss instead, have granitic compositions. Migmatization started early, during the compressional and crustal thickening (sin-D1, pre-D2) and was still active during exhumation stage. For each studied outcrop of migmatite pseudosections for the average mesosome composition have been calculated; these pseudosections have been used to model the P-T conditions of anatexis on the basis of the melt volume (%) of melt, Si/Al and Na/K molar ratios, modal content of garnet and Si content in metamorphic white mica. Further pseudosections have been calculated for the average composition of leucosomes in order to define the P-T conditions of the end of the crystallization through intersection of solidus curve and isopleths of Si content in white mica and/or XMg ratio in biotite. Thermodynamic modeling on ortho- and sedimentary-derived migmatites of Punta Sirenella yield P-T conditions of 1.1-1.3 GPa - 670-740°C for migmatitic event and 0.75-0.90 GPa - 660-730°C for the end of crystallization. These conditions are fit well with previous studies on adjacent rocks. Modeling of Porto Ottiolu ortho- and sedimentary-derived migmatites yield P-T conditions of 0.85-1.05 GPa - 690-730°C for migmatitic event and 0.35-0.55 GPa - 630-690°C strongly affected by re-equilibration during exhumation, expecially for crystallization conditions. Geochemical analyses of samples belonging to Porto Ottiolu and Punta Sirenella orthogneisses show a strong link with those of other orthogneisses outcropping in NE Sardinia (for instance, Lode-Mamone and Golfo Aranci) that are considered the intrusive counterparts of middle-Ordovician metavolcanics rocks outcropping in the Nappe Zone. Thus, the studied ortogneiss bodies, even lacking radiometric data, can be considered as belonging to the same magmatic cycle.

Bible work in Bible lands, or, Events in the history of the Syria mission / by Isaac Bird.

http://www.archive.org/details/bibleworkinbible00birduoft

Distribution, ecology, life history, genetic variation, and risk of extinction of nonhuman primates from Costa Rica

We examined the association between geographic distribution, ecological traits, life history, genetic diversity, and risk of extinction in nonhuman primate species from Costa Rica. All of the current nonhuman primate species from Costa Rica are included in the study; spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), howling monkeys (Alouatta palliata), capuchins (Cebus capucinus), and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedii). Geographic distribution was characterized accessing existing databases. Data on ecology and life history traits were obtained through a literature review. Genetic diversity was characterized using isozyme electrophoresis. Risk of extinction was assessed from the literature. We found that species differed in all these traits. Using these data, we conducted a Pearson correlation between risk of extinction and ecological and life history traits, and genetic variation, for widely distributed species. We found a negative association between risk of extinction and population birth and growth rates; indicating that slower reproducing species had a greater risk of extinction. We found a positive association between genetic variation and risk of extinction; i.e., species showing higher genetic variation had a greater risk of extinction. The relevance of these traits for conservation efforts is discussed.

Changes in neuroticism following trauma exposure.

Using longitudinal data, the present study examined change in midlife neuroticism following trauma exposure. Our primary analyses included 670 participants (M(age) = 60.55; 65.22% male, 99.70% Caucasian) who completed the NEO Personality Inventory at ages 42 and 50 and reported their lifetime exposure to traumatic events approximately 10 years later. No differences in pre- and post-trauma neuroticism scores were found among individuals who experienced all of their lifetime traumas in the interval between the personality assessments. Results were instead consistent with normative age-related declines in neuroticism throughout adulthood. Furthermore, longitudinal changes in neuroticism scores did not differ between individuals with and without histories of midlife trauma exposure. Examination of change in neuroticism following life-threatening traumas yielded a comparable pattern of results. Analysis of facet-level scores largely replicated findings from the domain scores. Overall, our findings suggest that neuroticism does not reliably change following exposure to traumatic events in middle adulthood. Supplemental analyses indicated that individuals exposed to life-threatening traumas in childhood or adolescence reported higher midlife neuroticism than individuals who experienced severe traumas in adulthood. Life-threatening traumatic events encountered early in life may have a more pronounced impact on adulthood personality than recent traumatic events.

A finite volume approach to geometrically non-linear stress analysis

In this past decade finite volume (FV) methods have increasingly been used for the solution of solid mechanics problems. This contribution describes a cell vertex finite volume discretisation approach to the solution of geometrically nonlinear (GNL) problems. These problems, which may well have linear material properties, are subject to large deformation. This requires a distinct formulation, which is described in this paper together with the solution strategy for GNL problem. The competitive performance for this procedure against the conventional finite element (FE) formulation is illustrated for a three dimensional axially loaded column.