Redescription of Balantidium polyvacuolum Li 1963 (Class: Litostomatea) inhabiting the intestines of Xenocyprinae fishes in Hubei, China

Redescription of Balantidium polyvacuolum Li 1963, collected from the hindgut of Xenocypris davidi and Xenocypris argentea, from Niushan Lake Fishery (30A degrees 19' N, 114A degrees 31' E) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China in April and June 2007 is presented in this paper to complete Li's description at both light and scanning electronic microscopic levels. The unique body shape of B. polyvacuolum-highly arched dorsal side and flattened ventral surface-as well as its remarkable concave platelet present in the centroventral were well described and compared with other close Balantidium species. Besides, two types of vestibulum shape are observed in our present work, which may suggest the existence of two subspecies or genotype species of these balantidia.

Phosphorus fractions and alkaline phosphatase activity in sediments of a large eutrophic Chinese lake (Lake Taihu)

Spatial, vertical, and seasonal variations in phosphorus fractions and in alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) were investigated in sediments in a large-shallow eutrophic Chinese lake (Lake Taihu) in 2003-2004. The phosphorus content was highest in the most seriously polluted lake area. Iron-bound phosphorus (Fe(OOH)-P) dominated (47% on average) among the phosphorus fractions determined according to Golterman (Hydrobiologia 335:87-95, 1996). Notably, organically-bound P comprised a further significant additional portion (acid-soluble + hot NaOH-extractable organic P = 25%), which was highest at the most polluted sites. The Fe(OOH)-P content was the lowest in spring (April, 2004), suggesting that degradation of organic matter led to the release of iron-bound phosphates. Sediment APA showed a significant positive relationship with both organically-bound P and Fe(OOH)-P. Consequently, organically-bound P is an important portion of the sediment phosphorus in Lake Taihu. It is mainly derived from freshly-settled autochthonous particles and from external discharges. Organically-bound P induces APA and may lead to the release of bioavailable phosphates from the organic sediments, thereby accelerating lake eutrophication.

Light and scanning electron microscopic study of Balantidium ctenopharyngodoni Chen, 1955 (Class : Litostomatea) from China

Redescription of Balantidium ctenopharyngodoni "Chen (Acta Hydrobiol Sin 1:123-164, 1955)", collected from the hindgut of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), especially the segment of 6-10 cm upstream from the anus, from Honghu Lake, Hubei Province, central China in November 2005, is presented in this paper to complete Chen's description at both light and scanning electron microscopic levels. Some revisions were done: the vestibulum is fairly symmetrical, with compactly arranged cilia rather than assembled membrane bordering on the left vestibular side; four contractile vacuoles actually exist in the latter body, three of which surround the posterior portion of the macronucleus, whereas the fourth lies antero-left to it. Somatic monokinetids were compared among the species of genus Balantidium. The cysts were described, and possible infection routes of B. ctenopharyngodoni were also discussed.

Characterizing the class of local metal sheet thickening processes

The need to create high-value products for specialist applications, and the search for efficient forming routes that obviate the need for some machining steps, is driving Interest In a novel class of forming processes aiming to create locally thickened features within sheet work- pieces. A number of novel forming processes have been proposed to meet this need, but it is as yet unclear which processes will be most effective in creating local thickening of various geometries, and many process configurations have yet to be tried. This paper aims to provide some basic principles for designing and characterising process behaviour. A simplified generic description of sheet thickening processes is provided, with two tools of variable operating on a sheet workpiece in plane strain, with different tool separations and motions parameterised. A comprehensive numerical study of the behaviour of this class of processes is conducted in Abaqus to predict the main characteristics of the material flow in each configuration. The results are used to classify the different basic behaviours that can be achieved by the sheet-bulk thickening processes and to give guidance on future process development, capability and applicability. © 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Weinheim.

An adaptive controller for a class of nonlinear system using direction basis function

For a class of nonlinear dynamical systems, the adaptive controllers are investigated using direction basis function (DBF) in this paper. Based on the criterion of Lyapunov' stability, DBF is designed which guarantees that the output of the controlled system asymptotically tracks the reference signals. Finally, the simulation shows the good tracking effectiveness of the adaptive controller.

X-Ray diffraction determination of the fractions of hexagonal and twinned phases in cubic GaN layers grown on (001)GaAs substrate

Being an established qualitative method for investigating presence of additional phases in single crystal materials, X-ray diffraction has been used widely to characterize their structural qualities and to improve the preparation techniques. Here quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis is described which takes into account diffraction geometry and multiplicity factors. Using double-crystal X-ray four-circle diffractometer, pole figures of cubic (002), {111} and hexagonal {10 (1) over bar0} and reciprocal space mapping were measured to investigate the structural characters of mixed phases and to obtain their diffraction geometry and multiplicity factors. The fractions of cubic twins and hexagonal inclusions were calculated by the integrated intensities of rocking curves of cubic (002), cubic twin {111}, hexagonal {10 (1) over bar0} and hexagonal {10 (1) over bar1}. Without multiplicity factors, the calculated results are portions of mixed phases in only one {111} plane of cubic GaN. Diffraction geometry factor can eliminate the effects of omega and X angles on the irradiated surface areas for different scattered planes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

on a class of pseudorandom sequences from elliptic curves over finite fields

Following the idea of Xing et al., we investigate a general method for constructing families of pseudorandom sequences with low correlation and large linear complexity from elliptic curves over finite fields in this correspondence. With the help of the tool of exponential sums on elliptic curves, we study their periods, linear complexities, linear complexity profiles, distributions of r-patterns, periodic correlation, partial period distributions, and aperiodic correlation in detail. The results show that they have nice randomness.

利用OVM实现基于Class的高效仿真验证环境

中国计算机学会

A colorimetric assay for screening microcystin class compounds in aquatic systems

Secondary metabolites produced by water-blooming cyanobacteria in eutrophic waters include some potent hepatotoxins, These compounds also have tumour-promoting properties, attributable to their inhibition and activation of protein phosphatases and kinases respectively. The inhibitory effect of these toxins on protein phosphatases have been employed in a commonly used radiometric assay, involving the use of a P-32-labeled substrate, for the detection and quantitation of these compounds. This paper investigates and describes a colorimetric method in which the activity of protein phosphatase 2A is determined by measuring the rate of colour production from the release of yellow p-nitrophenol using p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate. Results of this study suggest that the colorimetric protein phosphatase inhibition assay is a simple, inexpensive tool for screening substances that may have tumour-promoting characteristics in aquatic systems. The detection limit of the colorimetric method is comparable to the radiometric assay. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation on Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd fractions in the natural surface coatings sampled and surficial sediments collected in the Songhua River, China

Natural surface coatings sampled (NSCSs) from the surface of shingles and surficial sediments (SSs) in the Songhua River, China were employed to investigate the similarities and difference in fractions of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) between NSCSs and SSs using the modified sequential extraction procedure (MSEP). The results show that the differences between NSCSs and SSs in Fe fractions were insignificant and Fe was dominantly present as residual phase (76.22% for NSCSs and 80.88% for SSs) and Fe-oxides phase (20.33% for NSCSs and 16.15% for SSs). Significant variation of Mn distribution patterns between NSCSs and SSs was observed with Mn in NSCSs mainly present in Mn-oxides phase (48.27%) and that in SSs present as residual phase (45.44%). Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd were found dominantly in residual fractions (>48%), and next in solid oxides/hydroxides for Zn, Pb and Cd and in easily oxidizable solids/compounds form for Cu, respectively. The heavy metal distribution pattern implied that Fe/Mn oxides both in NSCSs and SSs were more important sinks for binding and adsorption of Zn, Pb and Cd than organic matter (OM), and inversely, higher affinity of Cu to OM than Fe/Mn oxides in NSCSs and SSs was obtained. Meanwhile, it was found that the distributions of heavy metals in NSCSs and SSs were similar to each other and the pseudo-total concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd in NSCSs were greater than those in SSs, highlighting the more importance for NSCSs than SSs in controlling behaviours of heavy metals in aquatic environments.