Study on the concentration and seasonal variation of inorganic elements in 35 species of marine algae

The concentrations of five major and 28 trace elements in 35 marine algae collected along the coast of China were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentrations of halogens, rare earth elements and many transition metal elements in marine algae are remarkably higher than those in terrestrial plants. The concentration factors for 31 elements in all collected algae were calculated, those for tri- and tetra-valent elements were higher than those of the mono- and di-valent elements in marine algae. The biogeochemical characteristics of inorganic elements in marine algae were investigated. In addition, the seasonal variation of inorganic elements in Sargassum kjellmanianum was also studied. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-amplitude BSRs and gas hydrate concentration on the northern margin of the South China Sea

The passive northern continental margin of the South China Sea is rich in gas hydrates, as inferred from the occurrence of bottom-simulating reflectors (BSR) and from well logging data at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) drill sites. Nonetheless, BSRs on new 2D multichannel seismic reflection data from the area around the Dongsha Islands (the Dongsha Rise) are not ubiquitous. They are confined to complex diapiric structures and active fault zones located between the Dongsha Rise and the surrounding depressions, implying that gas hydrate occurrence is likewise limited to these areas. Most of the BSRs have low amplitude and are therefore not clearly recognizable. Acoustic impedance provides information on rock properties and has been used to estimate gas hydrate concentration. Gas hydrate-bearing sediments have acoustic impedance that is higher than that of the surrounding sediments devoid of hydrates. Based on well logging data, the relationship between acoustic impedance and porosity can be obtained by a linear regression, and the degree of gas hydrate saturation can be determined using Archie's equation. By applying these methods to multichannel seismic data and well logging data from the northern South China Sea, the gas hydrate concentration is found to be 3-25% of the pore space at ODP Site 1148 depending on sub-surface depth, and is estimated to be less than values of 5% estimated along seismic profile 0101. Our results suggest that saturation of gas hydrate in the northern South China Sea is higher than that estimated from well resistivity log data in the gas hydrate stability zone, but that free gas is scarce beneath this zone. It is probably the scarcity of free gas that is responsible for the low amplitudes of the BSRs.

Numerical simulation on the process of saltwater intrusion and its impact on the suspended sediment concentration in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary

To study the relationship between sediment transportation and saltwater intrusion in the Changjiang (Yangtze) estuary, a three-dimensional numerical model for temperature, salinity, velocity field, and suspended sediment concentration was established based on the ECOMSED model. Using this model, sediment transportation in the flood season of 2005 was simulated for the Changjiang estuary. A comparison between simulated results and observation data for the tidal level, flow velocity and direction, salinity and suspended sediment concentration indicated that they were consistent in overall. Based on model verification, the simulation of saltwater intrusion and its effect on sediment in the Changjiang estuary was analyzed in detail. The saltwater intrusion in the estuary including the formation, evolution, and disappearance of saltwater wedge and the induced vertical circulation were reproduced, and the crucial impact of the wedge on cohesive and non-cohesive suspended sediment distribution and transportation were successfully simulated. The result shows that near the salinity front, the simulated concentrations of both cohesive and non-cohesive suspended sediment at the surface layer had a strong relationship with the simulated velocity, especially when considering a 1-hour lag. However, in the bottom layer, there was no obvious correlation between them, because the saltwater wedge and its inducing vertical circulation may have resuspended loose sediment on the bed, thus forming a high-concentration area near the bottom even if the velocity near the bottom was very low during the transition phase from flood to ebb.

Effective AC and DC responses of nonlinear composites at higher concentration

For higher concentration of inclusions, an effective medium approximation (EMA) method is used to investigate the bulk effective response of weakly nonlinear composites, which are subject to the constitutive relation of electric displacement and electric field, D-alpha = epsilon E-alpha + chi(alpha)|E|(2) E. As an example of three dimensions, under the external AC and DC electric fields E-app = E-a (1 + sin omega t), we have derived the general effective nonlinear response of composites by the EMA method for higher concentration of spherical inclusions. Furthermore, the effective nonlinear responses at harmonics are predicted.

评价水产动物生长性能的生理生化指标和分子生物学指标

以奥利亚罗非鱼(Oreochromis aureus)为实验对象，设计了3种不同的摄食类型，分别是鲜活饵料组、饥饿3周后饱食投喂组和人工饲料组。鲜活饵料组投喂冰冻赤子爱胜蚓，利用蚯蚓体内丰富的营养成分和活性物质，以期获得奥利亚罗非鱼良好的生长状况；饥饿后饱食组是指饥饿3周后，以人工饲料饱食投喂2周，用于研究饥饿与补偿生长获得快速生长时血液理化指标的变化情况；人工饲料组作为对照组。纯淡水条件下养殖，水温25±2℃。测定了奥利亚罗非鱼在3种摄食类型饲喂下某些血液生理生化指标变化的情况，并将指标变化情况与增重率做相关性分析，试图找出能够反映奥利亚罗非鱼生长性能的血液生理生化指标。 研究结果表明，奥利亚罗非鱼在饥饿3周后获得了补偿生长，补偿生长时的增重率和特定生长率显著高于人工饲料组(P<0.05)，高于鲜活饵料组，但差别不显著；相关性分析研究表明血清总蛋白、胆固醇、四碘甲状腺原氨酸（T4）与增重率极显著相关(P<0.01)，血红蛋白显著相关(P<0.05)，红细胞、白细胞、碱性磷酸酶高度相关(相关系数为0.580、0.551和0.557)，因此，建议血清总蛋白、胆固醇和血红蛋白可作为能够反映罗非鱼生长性能的新指标。 根据序列设计引物，PCR反应条件：变性温度：95 ℃，3 min；退火温度：57℃，20 sec；延伸温度：72℃，5 min，共36个循环，从牙鲆、黑鲪和鲈鱼中克隆出胰岛素样生长因子（IGF-Ⅰ）部分序列，首次证实了IGF-Ⅰ在3种海水鱼中的存在。 利用蛋氨酸与ZnSO4•7H2O，在pH 5.5、80℃下，反应1小时，采用蛋氨酸与硫酸锌2：1的配料比，合成出了产物蛋氨酸螯合锌，蛋氨酸螯合锌外观白色，粉状，室温下微溶于水，不溶于乙醇，并用原子吸收光谱法测定其含锌量为15%，螯合率为88.2%。

Effects of nitrogen source and concentration on growth rate and fatty acid composition of Ellipsoidion sp (Eustigmatophyta)

In order to study the effects of different nitrogen source and concentration on the growth rate and fatty acid composition, a marine microalga Ellipsoidion sp. with a high content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was cultured in media with different nitrogen sources and concentrations. During the pre-logarithmic phase, the alga grew faster with ammonium as N source than with nitrate, but the reverse applied during the post-logarithmic phase. The alga grew poorly in N-free medium or medium with urea as the sole N source. In the same growth phase, ammonium medium resulted in higher yield of total lipid, but the EPA yield did not differ significantly different from that using nitrate medium. The maximum growth rate occurred in medium containing 1.28 mmol L-1 sodium nitrate, while maximum EPA and total lipid contents were reached at 1.92 mmol L-1, when EPA accounted for 27.9% total fatty acids. The growth rate kept stable when NH4Cl ranged from 0.64 to 2.56 mmol L-1, and the maximum content of total lipid and EPA occurred in the medium with 2.56 mmol L-1 NH4Cl. The EPA content was higher in the pre- than post-logarithmic phase, though the total lipid content was lower. The highest EPA content expressed as percent total fatty acid was 27.9% in nitrate medium and and 39.0% in ammonium medium.