Voltammetric study of vitamin K-3 at interdigitated array microelectrodes

Cyclic voltammetry of Vitamin K-3 (V-K3) was measured with Pt disk electrode, platinum interdigitated array (Pt-IDA) and Au-IDA microelectrodes in single and dual modes. The effects of pH, scan rate and collector potential on the current of generator and collector were studied. The collection efficiency of V-K3 at IDA electrodes was measured. The linear ranges for current response as a function of V-K3 concentration were found to he 10 mu M-1 mM (i(g)) and 1 mu M - 1 mM (i(c)) for the generator and collector of the Pt-IDA electrode, respectively. The effects of waiting time, potential difference and pulse electrolysis time in differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) on the peak current of V-K3 were studied to get the optimal condition at 0.1 M Na2HPO4, pH 11.50 and 11.0 for Au-IDA and Pt-IDA, respectively.

A novel method of studying polymer biodegradation

A novel combination of laser light scattering (LLS) and the micronization of a water-insoluble polymer into narrowly distributed nanoparticles stable in water has provided not only an accurate, reliable and microscopic method to study polymer biodegradation, but also a novel and fast way to evaluate the biodegradability of a given polymer. Using poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) as a typical example, we have shown that its biodegradation time can be shortened by a factor of more than 10(3) times in comparison with the time required to biodegrade a thin film (10 x 10 x 0.1 mm(3)). Moreover, the biodegradation kinetics can be in-situ monitored in terms of the decrease of the time-average scattering intensity and the particle number. A comparison of static and dynamic LLS results revealed that the enzyme, Lipase Pseudomonas, ''eats'' the PCL nanoparticles in an one-by-one manner and the enzymatic biodegradation of PCL follows a zero-order kinetics. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

DETERMINATION OF INITIATION VALUE OF MODE-I INTERLAMINAR FRACTURE-TOUGHNESS OF UNIDIRECTIONAL POLYMER COMPOSITES

The use of interlaminar fracture tests to measure the delamination resistance of unidirectional composite laminates is now widespread. However, because of the frequent occurrence of fiber bridging and multiple cracking during the tests, it leads to artificially high values of delamination resistance, which will not represent the behavior of the laminates. Initiation fracture from the crack starter, on the other hand, does not involve bridging, and should be more representative of the delamination resistance of the composite laminates. Since there is some uncertainty involved in determining the initiation value of delamination resistance in mode I tests in the literature, a power law of the form G(IC) = A.DELTA alpha(b) (where G(IC) is mode I interlaminar fracture toughness and DELTA alpha is delamination growth) is presented in this paper to determine initiation value of mode I interlaminar fracture toughness. It is found that initiation values of the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, G(IC)(ini), can be defined as the G(IC) value at which 1 mm of delamination from the crack starter has occurred. Examples of initiation values determined by this method are given for both carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers.

Purification and partial characterization of Mn superoxide dismutase from muscle tissue of the shrimp Macrobrachium nipponense

Superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) is an enzyme that protects against oxidative stress from superoxide radicals in living cells. This enzyme had been isolated, purified and partially characterized from muscle tissue of the shrimp Macrobrachium nipponense. The purification was achieved by heat treatment, ammonium sulfate fractionated precipitation and column chromatograph on DEAE-cellulose 32. Some physiological and biochemical characterization of it was tested. The molecular weight of it was about 21.7 kDa, as judged by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme had an absorption peak of 278 nm in ultraviolet region, and the enzyme remained stable at 25-45 degreesC within 90 min. However, it was rapidly inactivated at higher temperature. Treatment of the enzyme with 1 mM ZnCl2, SDS and 1 mM or 10 mM mercaptoethanol showed some increasing activity. However, the enzyme activity was obviously inhibited by 10 mM CaCl2, CuSO4, ZnCl2 and 1 mM CaCl2 and 10 mM K2Cr2O7. SOD activity did not show significantly variation after incubated with 1 mM CaCl2, EDTA and 10 MM SDS. The enzyme was insensitive to cyanide and contained 1.03 +/- 0.14 atoms of manganese per subunit shown in atomic absorption spectroscopy, which revealed that purified SOD was Mn superoxide dismutase. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transient expression of lacZ in particle bombarded Gracilaria changii (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)

Using a Biolistic PDS 1000/He system, healthy thalli of Gracilaria changii were bombarded with gold particles coated with plasmid DNA containing the lacZ reporter gene. Transient expression of lacZ was observed in bombarded thalli under the rupture-disc pressures of 4482, 6206, 7584 and 8963 KPa, two days after bombardment. Although G. changii exhibits a slight blue background, positive expression and the background colour can be clearly differentiated. The results indicate that lacZ could be a useful reporter gene and that SV40 promoter could be an effective promoter for Gracilaria transformation.

Size and time of day affect the response of postlarvae and early juvenile grooved tiger prawns Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan (Decapoda:Penaeidae) to natural and artificial seagrass in the laboratory

Juvenile tiger prawns (Penaeus semisulcatus De Haan and P. esculentus Haswell) show a strong association with vegetated habitats and are rarely caught on non-vegetated areas. This pattern of distribution may be caused by postlarvae selecting vegetation when they settle, or to differences in post-settlement mortality in different habitats. In this study, we examined whether the postlarvae and early juvenile stages of P. semisulcatus would distinguish between seagrass (Zostera capricorni Aschers) without epiphytes, artificial seagrass and bare substratum in the laboratory. The responses of prawns reared from the egg to different stages of postlarval and juvenile development were tested to determine whether, and when, each size class showed a response to a particular habitat. Five size classes of postlarvae (average carapace lengths [CL] of 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.7 and 2.0 mm) were offered a choice between Z. capricorni and bare sand. Small size classes of postlarvae either did not respond to Z. capricorni (1.2 and 1.6 mm CL), or were more abundant on bare substratum than Z. capricorni. In contrast, the largest size classes of postlarvae (1.7 and 2.0 mm CL) were more abundant on Z. capricorni during the day but not at night. The behaviour of postlarvae changed markedly at a size of 1.7 mm CL (22 days from the first nauplius): smaller postlarvae frequently swam in the water column; 1.7 and 2.0 mm CL postlarvae spent much more. time resting on the substrate and perched on seagrass leaves. This size at which postlarvae first respond to seagrass during the day, and show mainly benthic behaviour, is similar to the size at which they are found on shallow seagrass beds in northern Australia. Large postlarvae (2.7 mm CL) and juveniles (4.1 mm CL) both were more abundant on artificial seagrass than bare sand during the day but not at night, indicating that they respond to structured habitats. When large postlarvae (2.4 mm CL) and juveniles (3.5 mm CL) were offered a choice between Z. capricorni without epiphytes and artificial seagrass, they were more abundant on the Z. capricorni, which suggests that chemical cues from seagrass may explain some of the responses of P. semisulcatus to seagrass. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

四种海藻热休克蛋白70（HSP70）基因的克隆与表达分析

热休克蛋白70是热休克蛋白家族中重要的成员，参与新生蛋白的折叠、转运、重折叠变性蛋白、协助降解变性蛋白和抗逆环境胁迫等功能。海带和裙带菜是浅海潮下带典型的褐藻，孔石莼和浒苔是潮间带典型的绿藻，四种大型海藻均有重要的经济价值和生态价值。随着潮汐变化固着藻类生境理化因素变化剧烈，藻类面临着严重的环境胁迫，因此研究藻类抗逆机理有着重要的意义。 本研究采用同源克隆法配合RACE-PCR，克隆了海带、孔石莼、裙带菜和浒苔HSP70基因的全序列（分别命名为LJHSP70、UPHSP70、QDHSP70和EPHSP70）。利用生物信息学方法分析了四种藻类HSP70结构特征、同源性关系和进化地位。获得的海带HSP70基因全序列长为2918 bp，5’非翻译区为248 bp，3’非翻译区为696 bp，开放阅读框为1974 bp，编码657个氨基酸，预测的分子量为72.03 kDa，等电点为4.97。获得的裙带菜HSP70基因全序列长为3243 bp，5’非翻译区为248 bp，3’非翻译区为1021 bp，开放阅读框为1974 bp，编码657个氨基酸，预测的分子量为72.03 kDa，等电点为4.96。获得的孔石莼HSP70基因全序列长为2283 bp，5’非翻译区为65 bp，3’非翻译区为247 bp，开放阅读框为1971 bp，编码656个氨基酸，预测的分子量为71.13 kDa，等电点为5.04。获得的浒苔HSP70基因全序列长为2265 bp，5’非翻译区为65 bp，3’非翻译区为217 bp，开放阅读框为1983 bp，编码660个氨基酸，预测的分子量为71.39 kDa，等电点为5.03。四种海藻HSP70氨基酸序列均含有四肽重复序列GGMP，具有三个典型的HSP70签名基序。细胞质定位的HSP70 C-末端特征基序为EEID或EEVD，并且N-端氨基酸序列保守性高于C-端。海带和裙带菜HSP70蛋白同源性为98%，孔石莼和浒苔HSP70蛋白同源性为96%，四种海藻HSP70蛋白序列与陆地植物和其他藻类HSP70蛋白序列同源性为70-80%。 利用荧光定量RT-PCR技术对不同胁迫条件处理的海带和孔石莼HSP70 mRNA的表达水平进行定量分析。不同热激温度（5-40 ℃）处理组中，30 ℃处理组的海带HSP70 mRNA表达量最高是10 ℃处理组的海带HSP70 mRNA表达量的3倍，而35 ℃或40 ℃处理组的海带HSP70表达量却低于25 ℃或30 ℃处理组的海带HSP70 mRNA表达量。25 ℃不同热激时间（0-12 h）处理组中，海带HSP70 mRNA表达量呈先上升后下降趋势。热激1 h后海带HSP70 mRNA表达量迅速上升，热激7 h后mRNA表达量达到最大，是对照组表达量的4倍。不同盐度（0‰-45‰）胁迫处理组中，0‰或5‰盐度处理组的海带HSP70 mRNA表达量是30‰盐度处理组海带HSP70 mRNA表达量的3倍。35‰、40‰和45‰盐度处理组之间HSP70 mRNA表达量较低且无显著差异。 不同热激温度（5-40℃）处理组中，20 ℃或25 ℃处理的孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量较低，而5 ℃、35 ℃、或40 ℃处理组的孔石莼HSP70 mRNA的表达量是25 ℃处理组孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量的2倍以上。30 ℃不同热激时间（0-12 h）处理组中，孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量也呈先上升后下降趋势。热激5 h后孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量达到最大，是对照组的3.5倍。不同盐度（0‰-45‰）胁迫处理组中，0‰或5‰盐度处理组的孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量是30‰盐度处理组孔石莼HSP70表达量的3倍。30‰、40‰和45‰盐度处理组孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量较低，且无显著差异。不同紫外线照射时间（0-4.0 h）和不同干燥时间（0-4.0 h）处理组中，孔石莼HSP70 mRNA表达量都在3 h后达到最高值，之后表达量维持在较高水平。 为进一步研究藻类HSP70的生物学功能，将海带HSP70基因的开放阅读框区域克隆到表达载体pEASY-E2中，并转化到大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)pLysS。将阳性重组子培养于含有AMP（100 U/mL）的LB培养基，IPTG诱导表达，SDS-PAGE电泳鉴定。经5 h诱导，其表达量达到平台期，继续培养HSP70表达量并不显著增高。5 mM IPTG诱导海带HSP70蛋白表达量高于1 mM IPTG诱导蛋白表达量。

Restructuring of a zooplankton community by perturbation from a wind-forced coastal jet

The impact of transient wind events on an established zooplankton community was observed during a, field survey in a, coastal region off northern Norway in May 2002. A transient wind event induced a coastal jet/filament intrusion of warm, saline water into our survey area where a semi-permanent eddy was present. There was an abrupt change in zooplankton community structure within 4-7 days of the wind event, with a change in the size structure, an increase in lower size classes less than 1 mm in equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) and a decrease in larger size classes greater than 1.5 mm in ESD. The slope of zooplankton biovolume spectra changed from -0.6 to -0.8, consistent with the size shifting towards smaller size classes. This study shows that even well established zooplankton communities are susceptible to restructuring during transient wind events, and in particular when wind forcing induces horizontal currents or filaments.

Factors influencing hemolytic activity of venom from the jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye

In this study, hemolytic activity of venom from the jellyfish Rhopilema esculentum Kishinouye and some factors affecting it were assayed. The HU50 of R. esculentum full venom (RFV) against chicken erythrocytes was 3.40 mu g/ml and a Hill coefficient value was 1.73 suggesting at least two molecules participated in hemolytic activity. The hemolytic activity of RFV was affected by some chemical and physical factors such as divalent cations, EDTA, (NH4)(2)SO4, pH and temperature. In the presence of Mg2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Ca2+ ( >= 2 mM), Mn2+ (>= 1 mM), EDTA (>= 2 mM) and (NH4)(2)SO4, the hemolytic activity of RFV was reduced. RFV had strong hemolytic activity at the pH 6-10 and the hemolytic ratios were 0.95-1.19. Hemolytic activity was temperature-sensitive and when RFV was pre-incubated at temperatures over 40 degrees C, it was sharply reduced. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution and species diversity of plant communities along transect on the Northeastern Tibetan plateau

The distribution and species diversity of plant communities along a 600 km transect through the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (32 degrees 42'-35 degrees 07' N, 101 degrees 02'-97 degrees 38' E) with altitudes from 3255 to 4460 m are described. The transect started from the Youyi Bridge of Banma through Dari, Maqin and Maduo to Zaling Lake. The data from 47 plots along the transect are summarized and analyzed. The mean annual temperature, the mean annual rainfall and the length of growing season decreases from 2.6 to -4.5 degrees C, from 767.2 to 240.1 mm, from 210 to 140 days, respectively, along the transect from the southeastern Banma to northwestern Zaling Lake. The number of vascular plant species recorded in 47 plots is 242 including 2 tree, 34 shrub, 206 herb species. Main vegetation types on the transect from southeast to northwest are: Sabina convallium forest, Picea likiangensis forest, Pyracantha fortuneana + Spiraea alpina shrub, Hippophae neurocarpu shrub, Sibiraea angustata + Polygonum viviparum shrub, Stellera chamaejasme herb meadow, Potentilla fruticosa + Salix obscura + Carex sp. Shrub, Kobresia capillifolia meadow, P. froticosa + Kobresia humilis shrub, Caragana jubata + S. obscura shrub, Kobresia tibetica meadow, Kobresia pygmaea meadow, K. pygmaea + Stipa purpurea steppe meadow, Stipa purpurea steppe. Plant richness and diversity index all showed a decreasing trend with increasing of elevation along transect from southeast to northwest. Detailed information on altitudinal ranges and distribution of the alpine vegetation, vascular flora and environments over the alpine zone at northeastern Tibetan Plateau provides baseline records relevant to future assessment of probable effects of global climate changes.

重庆老龙洞二叠系-三叠系界线地层微生物岩研究

The largest mass extinction in the Phanerozoic happened at the end of the Permian. The microbialites formed in the extreme environments after the mass extinction has become a hotspot for geologists and paleontologists throughout the world. The dendroid microbialites that were described for the first time in 1999 from the Permian-Triassic boundary section at Laolongdong, Chongqing, have been studied by many geologists from China and overseas. Two important viewpoints about their origin have been proposed. Some researchers believed that they resemble Quaternary travertine shrubs in form, and may belong to microbialites. Some other researchers proposed that the dendroid structure is composed of clots formed by coccoidal cynaobacteria, and is microbialite. Our detailed survey on the section reveals that: (1) there is an interval of speckled “microbialite” in the section, and it underlies the dendroid “microbialite”, (2) the dendroid “microbialite” does not always have dendroid appearance; they are dendroid only in very local places; they are not dendroid in most places; for this reason, they are not comparable to recent tufa; (3) the volume of the dendroid structure greatly increases toward the top of the dendroid microbialite interval: accounting to 70% of the whole rock in the top part. This distribution pattern implies that the formation of this structure may be related to downward migration of the diagenetic fluid. Examination of thin sections reveals that the dendroid structure or point-like structure in the “microbialite” look as lighter areas in the thin sections and are composed of large blocky clear calcites containing scattered yellow dirty small calcite rhombi and irregular “points” of relict lime mudstone or wackestone or packstone. Their formation is by any one of the following two processes: (1) dissolution → filling of large blocky calcite; (2) dolomitization → dedolomitization → dissolution by meteoric fresh water → filling by large blocky calcites. It has been found that there are at least two sea-level falls during the P-T transition. As the sea level fall, the carbonate deposits came into supratidal environment, and suffered dolomitization caused by evaporative fluid or mixing water of sea water and meteoric water. Since the fluid migrated downward from the top of the deposits and in random pathway, the dolomitization formed dendroid or speckled dolomitic areas. As the deposits came into subaerial environments, the meteoric fresh water migrated along the dendroid or speckled dolomitic area with higher porosity, and dissolution happened, which caused the rock became spongy or alveolate. In later time, after the strata came into phreatic zone, large clear blocky calcites grew in and filled the pores in the spongy areas. The dendroid and speckled structure were formed in this way, rather than composed of clots formed by coccoid cyanobecteria. The microbial fossils in Laolongdong section include two types. The first is the tube-like cyanobecteria in middle Bed 3, which are generally less than 1 mm in length, taper toward one end, and are internally filled by microspars. They are straight or sinuous, with micritic wall 0.005~0.01 mm thick. Since this kind of microbial fossils are abundant in middle Bed 3, this rock belongs to microbialite. The second type occurs in Bed 5 and lower and middle Bed 6. They are irregular globular in shape, generally 0.2 ~ 0.5 mm in size, with several outward progresses, and internally filled by one layer of needle-like calcite cements on the wall and the large blocky calcite in the inner space. According to their shape and preservation way, it is inferred that this kind of fossils were formed from some kind of bacterial colony. The bacterial colony may be cuticle in composition, since it has some hardness as it is indicated by its resistance to deposit loading. These organisms discomposed during diagenetic time, and formed good porosity. In later diagenetic time, these pores were firstly cemented by needle-like calcites and later filled by large blocky calcites. So, the bacterial colony promoted the formation of dendroid and speckled structures. However, they did not always form such structures. On the other hand, even though no bacterial colony or other microbes or any kind of fossils were present, dendroid or speckled structures can form. Bed 4 of Laolongdong section contains abundant gastropods but no microbial fossils, and is not microbialite, even though it is speckled. The top of Bed 6 is dendroid, but contain no microbial fossils, and is not micrbialite.

中太平洋莱恩海山富钴结壳的地球化学及Os同位素地层年代学研究

广泛分布于大洋海山上的富钴结壳被认为是目前最具潜在经济价值的海底矿产资源；同时富钴结壳的形成受控于古海洋和古沉积环境，保存了古海洋和古气候的重要信息，记录了其生长时期的海洋和气候的演化历史，因此，富钴结壳又是一种潜在的古海洋学记录。富钴结壳的元素和同位素组成特征包含了这些重要信息，因此，国内外学者对富钴结壳的地球化学特征进行了较为深入的研究。然而，前人对富钴结壳的研究通常是以结壳表层或整块作为研究对象，掩盖了结壳所记录的几十个百万年不断变化的海洋循环和大陆风化的信息，这严重制约着对结壳形成过程和演化历史的认识。目前，系统的富钴结壳地层剖面研究工作国内外涉及非常少，因此，通过开展富钴结壳完整剖面的地球化学研究才能更好的揭示其所蕴含的古海洋学意义。海洋环境中Os同位素能够提供一些其它同位素如Pb、Nd、Sr所无法给出的重要信息，在示踪物源、古海洋环境、古气候及古陆地风化等方面，具有明显的优势。但目前富钴结壳的Os同位素研究非常薄弱，属于国际前缘研究。富钴结壳的定年方法种类繁多，各具优势，但没有任何一种方法能够以较高的精确度和简捷性给出富钴结壳的真实生长年龄，具有较大潜力的Os同位素年代学研究，国内外基本处于空白。因此，开展系统的富钴结壳剖面的地球化学特征和Os同位素地层年代学研究，对于了解富钴结壳形成过程中元素的地球化学行为，示踪不同时期结壳的成矿物质来源，标定富钴结壳的形成时间，揭示古海洋环境及其演化和进一步揭示富钴结壳成矿过程和成矿机制，均具有极其重要的理论和实际意义。 本文以中太平洋莱恩海山的富钴结壳为研究对象，在对其进行系统宏观观察和显微研究的基础上，进行了系统的、高精度分层取样分析，系统揭示了各壳层的结构构造、矿物学、元素地球化学、Sr同位素和Os同位素地球化学特征，并利用Os同位素地层学方法对富钴结壳进行了年代学研究。论文主要获得了以下几个方面的认识： 本文研究所用的两块富钴结壳均为典型的三层构造结壳，从底部到顶部依次为致密层、疏松层、较致密层。结壳中矿物结晶程度差，结构单一，主要为胶状结构。结壳内部的显微构造复杂多样。壳层中的显微构造呈现有规律的变化：下部致密层构造较为单一，以纹层状构造为主；中部疏松层构造杂乱，以斑杂状构造多见；上部较致密层介于其中，以柱状、树枝状构造为主。结壳的垂直剖面结构构造的变化特征可以反映结壳生长过程中古海洋环境的演变过程，并与其地球化学特征相关联。富钴结壳MP5D17和MP2D06主要由锰相矿物（水羟锰矿为主）和铁相矿物组成，含少量石英、长石、粘土矿物、方解石和磷灰石等次要矿物。 富钴结壳剖面的元素地球化学研究表明，莱恩海山区不同区域的结壳MP5D17和MP2D06，元素富集特征相似。在海水中的滞留时间较短、具有高分配系数的元素，在结壳中相对富集。富钴结壳中，多数元素的含量在剖面上变化较大，不同构造层组化学组分含量相差明显，这反映了结壳生长过程中海水化学及海洋环境随时间发生了明显的改变。不同结壳剖面中元素的变化既有共性，也有差异，由于其所处的海山位置不同，不同的古海洋环境条件决定了它们元素分布的差异。富钴结壳剖面中稀土元素具有极为明显富集的特征，结壳生长过程中各种稀土元素的丰度在剖面中的变化趋势相似，各壳层稀土元素配分模式基本一致，显示轻微的轻稀土富集、强正Ce异常和负Y异常、弱正Eu异常和负Gd异常。 富钴结壳的锶同位素地球化学研究表明， 87Sr/86Sr值在结壳剖面上具有明显的变化规律，且与结构构造的变化相对应。结壳中87Sr/86Sr变化主要受大陆古老硅铝质岩风化经河流输入和海底年轻的火山岩蚀变输入的影响。结壳的Sr同位素演化与海水的Sr同位素演化趋势差异较大，磷酸盐化作用以及Sr的扩散作用使得富钴结壳不能完好的保存其生长时期周围海水的Sr同位素组成，因此，被广泛使用的Sr同位素地层学不适合作为富钴结壳的定年工具。 通过对富钴结壳MP5D17剖面上各壳层样品进行锇同位素分析。结果表明，结壳中187Os/188Os比值变化较大，范围在0.4262～1.0155之间。上部较致密层187Os/188Os较大，中部疏松层较小，下部致密层介于二者之间。结壳中Os同位素组成变化是陆源物质、幔源物质和地外物质输入共同作用的结果。结壳剖面的锇同位素曲线具有与80 Ma以来海水锇同位素演化曲线相似的演化趋势。使用Os同位素地层学方法，初步推测富钴结壳MP5D17的生长起始时间约为72 Ma，四个构造层组的生长速率分别为：1.2 mm/Ma、1.0 mm/Ma、5.1 mm/Ma和4.0 mm/Ma。研究证实了结壳的Os同位素是一种有效的定年手段，Os同位素地层年代学方法是目前除古生物化石法以外，解决年龄超过15 Ma的富钴结壳年代学的最有效途径。 综合研究表明，中太平洋莱恩海山的厚层富钴结壳为氧化环境下形成的水成成因结壳，是物理化学成矿作用的结果。

Large-pore mesoporous SBA-15 silica particles with submicrometer size as stationary phases for high-speed CEC separation

A new mesoporous sphere-like SBA-15 silica was synthesized and evaluated in terms of its suitability as stationary phases for CEC. The unique and attractive properties of the silica particle are its submicrometer particle size of 400 nm and highly ordered cylindrical mesopores with uniform pore size of 12 nm running along the same direction. The bare silica particles with submicrometer size have been successfully employed for the normal-phase electrochromatographic separation of polar compounds with high efficiency (e.g., 210 000 for thiourea), which is matched well with its submicrometer particle size. The Van Deemeter plot showed the hindrance to mass transfer because of the existence of pore structure. The lowest plate height of 2.0 mu m was obtained at the linear velocity of 1.1 mm/s. On the other hand, because of the relatively high linear velocity (e.g., 4.0 mm/s) can be generated, high-speed separation of neutral compounds, anilines, and basic pharmaceuticals in CEC with C-18-modified SBA-15 silica as stationary phases was achieved within 36, 60, and 34 s, respectively.

Effects of prior warm-up regime on severe-intensity cycling performance

Burnley, M, Doust, J and Jones, A (2005) Effects of Prior Warm-up Regime on Severe-Intensity Cycling Performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 37 (5). pp. 838-845. ISSN 1530-0315 RAE2008

Dependence of severe storm occurrence on circulation types in Poland

The paper investigates the relationships between the occurrence of thunderstorms with heavy precipitation (> 30 mm) and atmospheric circulation types. The study covers the period 1951–1998 and is based on a matching span of records of thunderstorm occurrence and daily precipitation totals at 47 weather stations in Poland. A catalogue of circulation types by Osuchowska-Klein, data on frequency of fronts over south-eastern Poland by Niedźwiedź and weather maps were used. In Poland, days with a thunderstorm and more than 30 mm of precipitation are extremely rare and occur mainly in summer. Their recurrence period amounts to about two to four years, with the exception of mountain areas (southern Poland) where they occur nearly every year. The heaviest precipitation on a day with thunderstorm, 166.1 mm, was recorded at a high-mountain station on Mt. Kasprowy Wierch. Apart from this station the highest precipitation was 141.0 mm and only eight stations had at least one record of more than 100 mm. Four regions characterised by different circulation types most favourable for the occurrence of thunderstorms with heavy precipitation were identified. In all of them southerly advection was most favourable for the occurrence of the phenomena studied (Sc, SEc, Sa/c), but that effect was especially prominent in the south-western region. Most of the days with thunderstorm and heavy precipitation coincided with the passing of an atmospheric front over Poland (53.8–81.9% days depending on the station). Days with air-mass thunderstorm and heavy precipitation were rare and mostly occurred in areas of variable topography.