DYNAMIC SCALING OF THE STRUCTURE-FUNCTION FOR SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION IN CRITICAL AND NONCRITICAL MIXTURES OF POLY(VINYL ACETATE) POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)

The dynamics of phase separation in a binary polymer blend of poly(vinyl acetate) with poly(methyl methacrylate) was investigated by using a time-resolved light-scattering technique. In the later stages of spinodal decomposition, a simple dynamic scaling law was found for the scattering function S(q, t)(S(q, t) approximately I(q, t)): S(q, t)q(m)-3 S approximately (q/q(m)). The scaling function determined experimentally was in good agreement with that predicted by Furukawa, S approximately (X) approximately X2/(3 + X8) for critical concentration, and approximately in agreement with that predicted by Furukawa, S approximately (X) approximately X2/(3 + X6) for non-critical mixtures. The light-scattering invariant shows that the later stages of the spinodal decomposition were undergoing domain ripening.

RESEARCH ON THE THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION OF THE BIOINORGANIC COMPLEX OF EUROPIUM AND L-GLUTAMINE BY MOSSBAUER-SPECTROSCOPY

Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to investigate the thermal decomposition of the bioinorganic complex of europium and L-glutamine. The Mossbauer parameters can demonstrate that the water molecules in the complex and the chlorine anion in the hydrogen chloride molecule, dissociated from the complex below 200-degrees-C, are not linked directly to the europium atom. The thermal decomposition process of the complex is discussed and a possible coordination model for the europium L-glutamine complex is also proposed on the basis of the thermogravimetric and derivative thermogravimetric curves, and from some evidence obtained from the Mossbauer effects of some decomposition products of the complex.

FRACTAL BEHAVIOR OF SPINODAL DECOMPOSITION IN POLYMER BLENDS

Fractal behaviour of ramified domains in the late stage of spinodal phase separation in a binary polymer blend of poly(vinyl acetate) with poly(methyl methacrylate) was investigated by optical microscopic method. In the late stage of the spinodal decomposition, the fractal dimension D is about 1.64. It implies that some anomalous properties of irregular structure probably may be explained by fractal concepts.

Involvement of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase in termination of cell cycle arrest during development of Artemia-encysted embryos

Artemia has evolved a unique developmental pattern of encysted embryos to cope with various environmental threats. Cell divisions totally cease during the preemergence developmental stage from gastrula to prenauplius. The molecular mechanism of this, however, remains unknown. Our study focuses on the involvement of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK), a family of serine/threonine kinase-mediating signal transduction downstream of mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, in the termination of cell cycle arrest during the post-embryonic development of Artemia-encysted gastrula. With immunochemistry, morphology, and cell cycle analysis, the identified Artemia RSK was established to be specifically activated during the post-embryonic and early larval developmental stages when arrested cells of encysted embryos resumed mitoses. In vivo knockdown of RSK activity by RNA interference, kinase inhibition, and antibody neutralization consistently induced defective larvae with distinct gaps between the exoskeleton and internal tissues. In these abnormal individuals, mitoses were detected to be largely inhibited in the affected regions. These results display the requirement of RSK activity during Artemia development and suggest its role in termination of cell cycle (G(2)/M phase) arrest and promotion of mitogenesis. Our findings may, thus, provide insights into the regulation of cell division during Artemia post-embryonic development and reveal further aspects of RSK functions.

TWO SPECIFIC CAUSES OF CELL MORTALITY IN FREEZE-THAW CYCLE OF YOUNG THALLI OF PORPHYRA YEZOENSIS (BANGIALES, RHODOPHYTA)1

Porphyra yezoensis Ueda is an important marine aquaculture crop with single-layered gametophytic thalli. In this work, the influences of thallus dehydration level, cold-preservation (freezing) time, and thawing temperature on the photosynthetic recovery of young P. yezoensis thalli were investigated employing an imaging pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM) fluorometer. The results showed that after 40 d of frozen storage when performing thallus thawing under 10 degrees C, the water content of the thalli showed obvious effects on the photosynthetic recovery of the frozen thalli. The thalli with absolute water content (AWC) of 10%-40% manifested obvious superiority compared to the thalli with other AWCs, while the thalli thawed at 20 degrees C showed very high survival rate (93.10%) and no obvious correlation between thallus AWCs and thallus viabilities. These results indicated that inappropriate thallus water content contributed to the cell damage during the freeze-thaw cycle and that proper thawing temperature is very crucial. Therefore, AWC between 10% and 40% is the suitable thallus water content range for frozen storage, and the thawing process should be as short as possible. However, it is also shown that for short-term cold storage the Porphyra thallus water content also showed no obvious effect on the photosynthetic recovery of the thalli, and the survival rate was extremely high (100%). These results indicated that freezing time is also a paramount contributor of the cell damage during the freeze-thaw cycle. Therefore, the frozen nets should be used as soon as time permits.

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on microtubule organization and cell cycle in gynogenetically activated eggs of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Indirect immunofluorescence staining was used to detect cytological changes of isolated blastodisks during mitosis of flounder haploid eggs treated with hydrostatic pressure. Changes in microtubule structure and expected cleavage suppression were observed from blastodisk formation to the third cell cycle, with obvious differences between treated and control eggs. In most eggs, microtubules were disassembled and the nucleation capacity of the centrosome was temporarily inhibited after pressure treatment. Within 15-20 min after treatment, the nucleation capacity of the centrosome began to gradually recover, with slow regeneration of microtubules; approximately 25 min after treatment, the nucleation capacity of the centrosome recovered completely, regenerated distinct bipolar spindles, and the first mitosis ensued. During the second cell cycle, approximately 61% of the embryos were at the two-cell stage, with a monopolar spindle in each blastomere; that treatment was effective was based on second cleavage blockage. Approximately 15% of the eggs still remained at the one-cell stage and had a monopolar spindle (treatment was effective, according to the general model of first cleavage blockage). However, treatment was ineffective in approximately 15% of the embryos (bipolar spindle in each blastomeres) and in another 8% (bipolar spindle in one of the two blastomeres and a monopolar spindle in the other; both mechanisms operating in different parts of the embryo). This is the first report elucidating mitotic gynogenetic diploid induction by hydrostatic pressure in marine fishes and provides a cytological basis for developing an efficient method of inducing mitotic gynogenesis in olive flounder. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of cold shock on microtubule organization and cell cycle in gynogenetically activated eggs of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Cytological changes and subsequent mitotic processes were studied in gynogenetically activated eggs of olive flounder subjected to cold-shock treatment using indirect immunofluorescence staining of isolated blastodisks. Obvious differences between controls and treated eggs were detected during early cell division. The developmental process of haploid control was similar to that of the diploid control except several minutes delayed. Spindles disassembled by the cold-shock treatment regenerated soon after treatment, resulting in the occurrence of the first mitosis. The immature daughter centriole was easily depolymerized by cold-shock treatment, leading to the formation of the bipolar spindle in the first cell cycle and the formation of the monopolar spindle in the second cell cycle, resulting in chromosome set doubling. Some two-cell stage eggs had a monopolar spindle in one blastomere and a bipolar spindle in another during the second mitosis. These eggs had a high potency developing into haploid-diploid mosaics. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to clarify the mechanism of chromosome set doubling in marine fishes and provides a preliminary cytological basis for developing a reliable and efficient protocol for mitotic gynogenesis induction by cold-shock treatment in olive flounder.

Carbonate cycle and its control factors in Kuroshio source region during the last 190ka BP

Two deep sea cores (Ph05-5, 16.05 degrees N, 124.34 degrees E, water depth 3382m and WP3: 22.15 degrees N, 122.95 degrees E, water depth 2700m) retrieved from the Kuroshio source region of the western Philippine Sea were selected to carry out the CaCO3 and calcareous nannofossil faunas study. Based on AMS(14)C data and comparing tire oxygen isotope curve with SPECMAP delta O-18 (Martinson et al., 1987) a stratigraphy was established. And, combining the changes of primary productivity and dissolution index of carbonate, the carbonate cycle and its control factors were analyzed in this region during the last 190ka BP. The carbonate contents showed higher values in the glacial periods and lower values during the interglacial and Holocene periods, which characteristics was similar to the tendency of "Pacific Type" carbonate cycle. However, there were high carbonate contents in the warm period and low values during the cold interval, which displayed the same tendency with the "Atlantic Type" carbonate cycle during the last glacial period (MIS4-2) in the east of Phillipines. The variations of primary productivity and carbonate dissolution index indicated that the carbonate dissolution was a major factor controlling the carbonate content in tire cast of Philippines, and the variations in carbonate contents were mainly affected by the productivity of calcareous organism in the Southeast of Taiwan. The "Atlantic Type" carbonate cycle in the cast of Phillipines during the last glacial period (MIS4-2) was an effect of the process of dissolution combined with the change of primary productivity.

Sea surface temperature reconstruction for the middle Okinawa Trough during the last glacial-interglacial cycle using C-37 unsaturated alkenones

C-37 unsaturated alkenones were analyzed on a core retrieved from the middle Okinawa Trough. The calculated U-37(K') displays a trend generally parallel with those of the oxygen isotopic compositions of two planktonic foraminiferal species, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei and Globigerinoides sacculifer, suggesting that in this region, SST has varied in phase with global ice volume change since the last glacial -interglacial cycle. The U-37(K')-derived SST ranged from ca. 24.0 to 27.5 degrees C, with the highest value 27.5 degrees C occurring in marine isotope stage 5 and the lowest similar to 24.0 degrees C in marine isotope stage 2. This trend is consistent with the continental records from the East Asian monsoon domain and the marine records from the Equatorial Pacific. The deglacial increase of the U-37(K')-derived SST is similar to 2.4 degrees C from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Annual cycle of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the Bohai Sea: A model study

The annual cycle of nutrient-phytoplankton dynamics in Bohai Sea (BS) is simulated using a coupled physical-biological model in this study. By comparison, the modeled seasonal variations of nutrients and primary productivity agree with observations rather well. Although the annual cycles of chlorophyll a and primary production are both characterized by a double-peak configuration, a structural difference is still apparent: the phytoplankton biomass reaches the highest value in spring while summer is characterized by the most productivity in the BS, which can be ascribed to the combined impact of seawater temperature and zooplankton-grazing pressure on the growth of algae. Based on the validated simulations, the annual budgets of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are estimated, and are about 0.82 mt C surplus, 39 kt N deficit and 12kt P surplus, respectively, implying that the BS ecosystem is somewhat nitrogen limited. The contribution of two external nutrient sources, namely river discharges and resuspended sediments, to the growth of algae is also examined numerically, and it is found that the influence of river-borne nutrients mainly concentrates in estuaries, whereas the reduction of sediment-borne nutrients may significantly inhibit the onset of algae bloom in the whole BS. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Annual cycle of stratification and tidal fronts in the Bohai Sea: A model study

In general, competition between buoyancy mechanisms and mixing dynamics largely determines the water column structure in a shelf sea. A three dimensional baroclinic ocean model forced by surface heat fluxes and the 2.5 order Mellor-Yamada turbulence scheme is used to simulate the annual cycle of the temperature in the Bohai Sea. The difference between the sea surface temperature (SST) and sea bottom temperature (SBT) is used to examine the evolution of its vertical stratification. It is found that the water column is well-mixed from October to March and that the seasonal thermocline appears in April, peaks in July and then weakens afterwards, closely following the heat budget. In addition, the Loder parameter based on the topography and tidal current amplitude is also computed in order to examine tidal fronts in the BS, which are evident in summer months when the wind stirring mechanism is weak.

Roles of equatorial waves and western boundary reflection in the seasonal circulation of the equatorial Indian Ocean

An ocean general circulation model (OGCM) is used to study the roles of equatorial waves and western boundary reflection in the seasonal circulation of the equatorial Indian Ocean. The western boundary reflection is defined as the total Kelvin waves leaving the western boundary, which include the reflection of the equatorial Rossby waves as well as the effects of alongshore winds, off-equatorial Rossby waves, and nonlinear processes near the western boundary. The evaluation of the reflection is based on a wave decomposition of the OGCM results and experiments with linear models. It is found that the alongshore winds along the east coast of Africa and the Rossby waves in the off-equatorial areas contribute significantly to the annual harmonics of the equatorial Kelvin waves at the western boundary. The semiannual harmonics of the Kelvin waves, on the other hand, originate primarily from a linear reflection of the equatorial Rossby waves. The dynamics of a dominant annual oscillation of sea level coexisting with the dominant semiannual oscillations of surface zonal currents in the central equatorial Indian Ocean are investigated. These sea level and zonal current patterns are found to be closely related to the linear reflections of the semiannual harmonics at the meridional boundaries. Because of the reflections, the second baroclinic mode resonates with the semiannual wind forcing; that is, the semiannual zonal currents carried by the reflected waves enhance the wind-forced currents at the central basin. Because of the different behavior of the zonal current and sea level during the reflections, the semiannual sea levels of the directly forced and reflected waves cancel each other significantly at the central basin. In the meantime, the annual harmonic of the sea level remains large, producing a dominant annual oscillation of sea level in the central equatorial Indian Ocean. The linear reflection causes the semiannual harmonics of the incoming and reflected sea levels to enhance each other at the meridional boundaries. In addition, the weak annual harmonics of sea level in the western basin, resulting from a combined effect of the western boundary reflection and the equatorial zonal wind forcing, facilitate the dominance by the semiannual harmonics near the western boundary despite the strong local wind forcing at the annual period. The Rossby waves are found to have a much larger contribution to the observed equatorial semiannual oscillations of surface zonal currents than the Kelvin waves. The westward progressive reversal of seasonal surface zonal currents along the equator in the observations is primarily due to the Rossby wave propagation.

Mixed-layer water oscillations in tropical Pacific for ENSO cycle

The main modes of interannal variabilities of thermocline and sea surface wind stress in the tropical Pacific and their interactions are investigated, which show the following results. (1) The thermocline anomalies in the tropical Pacific have a zonal dipole pattern with 160 W as its axis and a meridional seesaw pattern with 6-8 degrees N as its transverse axis. The meridional oscillation has a phase lag of about 90 to the zonal oscillation, both oscillations get together to form the El Nino/La Nina cycle, which behaves as a mixed layer water oscillates anticlockwise within the tropical Pacific basin between equator and 12 degrees N. (2) There are two main patterns of wind stress anomalies in the tropical Pacific, of which the first component caused by trade wind anomaly is characterized by the zonal wind stress anomalies and its corresponding divergences field in the equatorial Pacific, and the abnormal cross- equatorial flow wind stress and its corresponding divergence field, which has a sign opposite to that of the equatorial region, in the off-equator of the tropical North Pacific, and the second component represents the wind stress anomalies and corresponding divergences caused by the ITCZ anomaly. (3) The trade winds anomaly plays a decisive role in the strength and phase transition of the ENSO cycle, which results in the sea level tilting, provides an initial potential energy to the mixed layer water oscillation, and causes the opposite thermocline displacement between the west side and east side of the equator and also between the equator and 12 degrees N of the North Pacific basin, therefore determines the amplitude and route for ENSO cycle. The ITCZ anomaly has some effects on the phase transition. (4) The thermal anomaly of the tropical western Pacific causes the wind stress anomaly and extends eastward along the equator accompanied with the mixed layer water oscillation in the equatorial Pacific, which causes the trade winds anomaly and produces the anomalous wind stress and the corresponding divergence in favor to conduce the oscillation, which in turn intensifies the oscillation. The coupled system of ocean-atmosphere interactions and the inertia gravity of the mixed layer water oscillation provide together a phase-switching mechanism and interannual memory for the ENSO cycle. In conclusion, the ENSO cycle essentially is an inertial oscillation of the mixed layer water induced by both the trade winds anomaly and the coupled ocean-atmosphere interaction in the tropical Pacific basin between the equator and 12 degrees N. When the force produced by the coupled ocean-atmosphere interaction is larger than or equal to the resistance caused by the mixed layer water oscillation, the oscillation will be stronger or maintain as it is, while when the force is less than the resistance, the oscillation will be weaker, even break.

Matrix-bound phosphine: A new form of phosphorus found in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay

Matrix-bound phosphine (PH3), a new form of phosphorus, was found in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay in December 2001. Concentration and distribution of PH3 in different layers of sediment with different stations were analyzed. The results show that PH3 concentrations are various with different layers and different stations. PH3 concentrations in the bottom layer of sediment (20-30 cm) are usually higher than those in the surface layer (0-4 cm). The highest PH3 concentration in our investigation reaches 685 ng/kg (dry), which is much higher than those in terrestrial paddy soil, marsh and landfill that have been reported up to now. The correlation analysis indicates that there is no apparent correlation between the concentrations of PH3 and inorganic phosphorus in sediment. However, the correlation between the concentrations of phosphine and organic phosphorus in the bottom layer of sediment is remarkable (R-2=0.83). It is mainly considered that PH3 in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay is produced from the decomposition of organic phosphorus in the anaerobic condition, and so PH3 concentrations are related to organic phosphorus concentration and anaerobic environment in sediment. The discovery of PH3 in sediment will give people some new ideas on the mechanisms of phosphorus supplement and biogeochemical cycle in Jiaozhou Bay.

Distribution characteristics of matrix-bound phosphine along the coast of China and possible environmental controls

Matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) concentrations in surface sediments collected from 37 stations along the coast of China in 2006 are reported. MBP was found in all samples and the average concentration was 6.30 ng kg(-1) dry weight (dw). The distribution of MBP showed certain spatial variation characteristics with high MBP concentrations at stations near to the coast. The average concentrations of MBP in the northern Yellow Sea (NYS), the southern Yellow Sea (SYS), the northern area of East China Sea (NECS), the southern area of East China Sea (SECS), and South China Sea (SCS) were 5.57 +/- 3.78, 3.78 +/- 2.81, 5.27 +/- 3.07, 5.48 +/- 4.05 and 13.52 +/- 7.86 ng kg(-1) dw. respectively. The correlations between MBP and influencing factors, such as the sedimentary environmental characteristics (sediment type, the grain size, contents of phosphorous, organic matters and redox potential) and the aquatic environmental characteristics (temperature, salinity, depth and hydrodynamics) were studied. The results indicated that MBP was strongly influenced by various factors, such as total phosphorus (TP), organic phosphorus (OP), organic carbon (OC), the grain size and hydrodynamics, all of which not only offered reasonable interpretations for the distribution characteristics of MBP but also provided evidence to support the viewpoint that phosphine originated from OP decomposition. This work is the first comprehensive study of the distribution of MBP along the coast of China and its relationships with environmental factors which will lead to a better understanding of the phosphorus (P) biogeochemical cycle in the sea. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.