Ultrastructural study on dynamics of plastids and mitochondria during microgametogenesis in watermelon

Dynamics of plastids and mitochondria during microgametogenesis in watermelon were examined by means of transmission electron microscopy. Plastids are present as proplastids in the microspore and as amyloplasts in the vegetative cell of the bicellular pollen grain, whereas the generative cell is completely devoid of plastids, suggesting that microspore plastids are excluded from the generative cell during the microspore mitotic division. Therefore, watermelon is classified as Lycopersicon type, where plastids exclusion from the generative cell leads to purely maternal plastid inheritance. Mitochondria in the generative cell show noticeable alterations in size and cristae during microgametogenesis. The diameter of mitochondria is about 0.5 μm in the newly born generative cell, while only about 0.16 μm in the spindle-shaped generative cell. Numerous cristae are present in mitochondria in the spherical generative cell, but, in contrast, mere two or three cristae retain in the spindle-shaped generative cell in the mature pollen grain. In conclusion, the size and cristae number of mitochondria in the generative cell are reduced significantly during microgametogenesis in watermelon.     

北京气候中心气候系统模式对中国四季日平均气温的模拟性能评估

利用去趋势波动分析方法对中国四季日平均气温观测资料进行了研究, 发现四季日平均气温均具有很好的长程相关性特征, 中国西部地区尤其是新疆和西藏的长程相关性较强. 基于观测资料中的这种长程相关性特征, 评估了北京气候中心气候系统模式对中国四季日平均气温的模拟性能, 发现该模式能够较好地反映中国四季日平均气温的长程相关性特征. 总体而言, 模式对春季的日平均气温的长程相关性模拟效果最好, 仅对江南地区的长程相关性的模拟较差; 夏季, 模式模拟误差较大的地区包括中国中东部地区及西藏大部, 其中华北南部、黄淮西部、江南大部、华南等地模拟效果最差; 秋季, 模式对东部沿海及东北大部、华北西南部等地模拟的长程相关性偏强, 而在西北大部模拟的长程相关性明显偏弱; 冬季, 除东部沿海地区模拟的长程相关性偏强外, 全国其余大部分地区接近观测或偏弱, 其中西北、西南、华南北部、江南南部、东北北部偏弱明显, 青藏高原西部偏弱最为显著.     

Spectral Properties of Single BODIPY Dyes in Polystyrene Microspheres and in Solutions

The absorption, fluorescence, fluorescence quantum yield, and photostability of five BODIPY dyes are characterized and compared as single dyes in two environments, in 40-nm polystyrene spheres and in solution. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the dyes in spheres are similar in profile but shifted to lower energies compared to those in solution. All the dyes are highly fluorescent, with three having fluorescence quantum yields of 1.0. For three of the five dyes, the yields were the same in spheres as in solution (1.00, 1.00, and 0.73). The high concentration of these dyes in spheres does not quench their fluorescence. For two other dyes the yields dropped, from 1.00 to 0.55 in one case and 0.83 to 0.50 in another, comparing the dyes in solution versus in spheres. The photodegradation of the dyes decreases in spheres compared to in solution in all but one case. For one dye, it decreases as much as 800-fold. Dyes overlooked because of low fluorescence or stability in solution could become useful fluorescent materials in the microsphere environment.     

An fMRI study of magnitude comparison and exact addition in children

By contrast to the adult literature, in which a consistent parietofrontal network for number processing has been identified, the data from studies of number processing in children have been less consistent, probably due to differences in study design and control conditions. Number processing was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 18 right-handed children (8–12 years) from the Cape Coloured community in Cape Town, South Africa, using Proximity Judgment and Exact Addition (EA) tasks. The findings were consistent with the hypothesis that, as in adults, the anterior horizontal intraparietal sulcus (HIPS) plays a major role in the representation and manipulation of quantity in children. The posterior medial frontal cortex, believed to be involved in performance monitoring in more complex arithmetic manipulations in adults, was extensively activated even for relatively simple symbolic number processing in the children. Other areas activated to a greater degree in the children included the left precentral sulcus, which may mediate number knowledge and, for EA, the head of the caudate nucleus, which is part of a fronto-subcortical circuit involved in the behavioral execution of sequences. Two regions that have been linked to number processing in adults — the angular gyrus and posterior superior parietal lobule — were not activated in the children. The data are consistent with the inference that although the functional specialization of the anterior HIPS may increase as symbolic number processing becomes increasingly automatic, this region and other elements of the parietofrontal network identified in adults are already reliably and robustly activated by middle childhood.     

近海台风对中国东部夏季降水的贡献

目前汛期预测主要针对季风系统形成的降水, 而对台风等热带系统的影响并未考虑, 其主要原因是台风是一个剧烈的天气尺度过程, 与短期气候预测尺度并不匹配, 因而无法进行考虑. 这也成为提升汛期预测技巧的一个制约因素. 针对这样的问题, 本文从气候的角度, 提出一个能较为客观地衡量台风对夏季降水影响强弱的指数––台风影响指数. 利用1960–2011年中国东部站点降水资料及中国气象局上海台风所整理的热带气旋资料, 从月、季尺度对中国夏季台风影响强弱变化特征进行分析, 探讨台风对东部地区夏季降水的贡献. 结果表明: 1)台风从6月至8月呈增强的趋势, 6月份最弱, 7月份居中, 8月份最强; 2)从台风降水及占总降水的比例分布来看, 纬向呈东部高西部低, 经向呈从东北地区至华南地区依次增大的趋势, 长江以南地区台风降水量占夏季降水量的比重可达10%以上, 7, 8月份东南沿海地区的台风降水量最大可达100 mm以上, 可达当月总降水量的40%; 3)台风影响指数与夏季降水的相关表明, 台风对中国东部降水的影响具有时、空差异性, 6月份与华南地区呈负相关, 7 月份与东南沿海地区呈正相关, 而与长江中下游地区呈负相关; 8月份与华南、华北地区呈正相关、与长江中下游地区呈负相关. 这主要是由台风、夏季风和西北太平洋副热带高压共同影响的. 关键词： 台风影响 东部 夏季降水 贡献     

半干旱采煤塌陷不同应力区典型植物高光谱特征分析

利用高光谱反演、监测植被生长状况的基础是光谱特征识别。以半干旱采煤塌陷区为样地，利用Field Spec 3地物光谱仪与SPAD-502叶绿素仪同步采集采煤地表塌陷形成的不同应力区(非采区、中性区、拉伸区、压缩区)典型植物叶片光谱反射率与叶绿素含量(SPAD值)，分析典型植物相同应力区SPAD值升高其光谱特征的变化，对比不同应力区典型植物SPAD值较高与较低时光谱特征的差异，并借助Matlab软件深入研究不同应力区典型植物SPAD值与差值指数、归一化指数的相关关系。结果表明：(1)不同应力区同种植物光谱曲线随着SPAD值不同变化规律相异，可见光波段区分明显，其余波段受应力影响的区域样本SPAD值不同，反射率比非采区波动更为剧烈与无序。可见光波段，糙隐子草、柠条、杨树、油蒿SPAD值低的样本光谱曲线绿峰缺失，SPAD值升高，绿峰出现但位置红移，SPAD值高于30时，为典型植被光谱曲线，油松样本SPAD值越高反射峰值越小；受应力影响的区域SPAD值低的样本谷、峰、边特征参数缺失更多，光谱变化规律不强。(2)400～700 nm波段，不同应力区糙隐子草、油蒿、油松、柠条样本SPAD值较低组反射率显著高于较高组，杨树样本相反；780～1 350 nm波段，拉伸区的糙隐子草、非采区的油蒿和柠条、压缩区的油松和杨树样本SPAD值较高组与较低组的反射率差异小；相较于非采区，受应力影响的糙隐子草、油蒿、柠条样本在所测波段SPAD值较高组与较低组的同波段反射率差值显著减小。(3)受应力影响的区域样本SPAD值与光谱指数相关性较之非采区在某些波段大面积增强。与非采区相比，中性区的油蒿、油松、柠条、杨树样本SPAD值与光谱指数的最大相关系数值均增大，糙隐子草相反；非采区植物SPAD值与NDVI最大相关系数均高于DI，波段组合多位于近红外，受应力影响区域的样本最大相关系数多数位于可见光波段。本研究为矿区不同应力区典型植物高光谱波段识别与植物健康状态监测、矿区生态环境精准治理提供了理论支撑。     

微波消解-ICP-AES测定鄱阳湖流域沉积物中微量元素

为了研究鄱阳湖沉积物中微量元素近几年来随季节、年度及沿程的变化情况,对2003年和2005年不同季节采集的鄱阳湖流域各采样点底泥进行了ICP-AES测定.结果表明,鄱阳湖沉积物中各元素的含量随着季节和年度变化而发生一定改变,枯水期普遍大于丰水期;南矶山2005年Cu和Pb含量较2003年有所降低;蔡家湾则与南矶山相反;姚公渡2005年Cu含量也较2003年低,Pb含量则高于2003年;与鄱阳湖流域底泥背景值相比,所测几个样点的Cu,Pb,Cr和Zn含量均在一定程度上超标;除大坞河外,其余各样点As含量均在背景值范围内;从饶河到鄱阳湖入湖口处,各元素含量呈逐渐降低趋势.文章提出的研究方法操作简便,效率高,劳动强度低.     

ICP-AES测定云南楚雄糖尿病患者发样微量元素的研究

探讨微量元素与糖尿病间的关联性及临床意义。采用ICP-AES等离子体发射光谱仪测定了楚雄地区糖尿病患者人发中11种元素,采用2,3-二氨基萘荧光法测定发样中的硒元素。选取糖尿病患者120例,对照组35例。糖尿病组发样中常量元素Ca、Mg低于对照组,P高于对照组;除Cd、Cr、Fe外,微量元素Zn、Se、Ni、Mn、Cu等5种元素低于对照组,并有显著差异(P0.01)。糖尿病组间性别比较数据显示男性除发Ni、Mn、P外,其余元素含量均低于女性,其中发锌远低于女性。3个不同年龄段糖尿病人群的微量元素含量变化显示Fe、P2种元素随年龄增加含量增高;Mg、Cd2种元素随年龄增加含量减少;其余各元素变化情况为Fe、P元素在老年组中较高,Cu、Cd、Mg较低;Mn、Cr、Cu元素含量在中年组中较高,而Zn、Se略低;Zn、Se在青年组较高,而Mn、Cr低。城市人群发中Zn、Cd、Cu、Mg、Ca含量比农村人群高;Se元素含量二者间差别也不大,其余元素含量均低于农村人群。楚雄地区糖尿病患者发中Zn、Se、Mg、Mn4种元素水平低,楚雄地区糖尿病患者致病原因可能与地区属低Se水平和患者体内硒水平低有关。     

Saxophonists tune vocal tract resonances in advanced performance techniques

The acoustical impedance spectrum was measured in the mouths of saxophonists while they played. During bugling and while playing in the very high or altissimo range, experienced players tune a strong, but relatively broad, peak in the tract impedance to select which peak in the bore impedance will determine the note. Less experienced players are unable to produce resonances with impedance peaks comparable in magnitude to those of the bore and consequently are unable to play these notes. Experienced players can also tune their tracts to select which combinations of notes are played simultaneously in multiphonics or chords, and to produce pitch bending, a technique in which notes are produced at frequencies far from those of the peak of impedance of the instrument bore. However, in normal playing in the standard range, there is no consistent tuning of the tract resonances. The playing frequency, in all cases, lies close to the peak in the impedance of the reed in parallel with the series combination of the impedances measured in the mouth and the instrument bore on either side of the reed (ZMouth+ZBore)∥ZReed.     

Subterahertz phonon dynamics in acoustic nanocavities

We report a direct determination of the dynamic behavior of confined acoustic phonons in nanocavities by picosecond acoustics. We provide the broadband, high resolution transmission amplitude curve in the subterahertz range, and we give evidence of resonant transmission peaks in three successive stop bands, in quantitative agreement with acoustic simulations. We furthermore demonstrate transit times in the nanosecond range at the cavity peaks reflecting the strong confinement of resonant phonons within the cavity layer. On the other hand, picosecond transit times are measured in the stop band, shorter than in any of the constituting materials, a tunneling effect well known both in photonic crystals and in macroscopic phononic systems.     

Strain-induced interaction of interstitials in IVA group hcp metals

Strain-induced (elastic) interactions of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon atoms in IVA group metals, α-Ti, Zr, and -Hf, are calculated in the framework of the microscopic Krivoglaz-Kanzaki-Khachaturyan theory. The experimental elastic constants, lattice spacing of the host metal, and concentration expansion coefficients are used as the input numerical parameters. The resulting interactions are stronger in α-Ti than in α-Zr and α-Hf. A comparative analysis of interactions in the hcp IVA group metals with those in bcc and fcc solid solutions reveals the crystal structure effect. In general, the strain-induced interactions of O, N, and C in hcp IVA group metals are weaker than in bcc solid solutions and are stronger than in fcc solid solutions.     

Oscillation of Dirac and Majorana neutrinos from muon decay in the case of a general interaction

We analyse the possibility of distinguishing Dirac and Majorana neutrinos in future neutrino factory experiments in which neutrinos are produced in muon decay when, in addition to a vector type as in the SM, there are also scalar interactions. We check this possibility in an experiment with a near detector, where the observed neutrinos do not oscillate, and in a far detector, after the neutrino oscillations. Neglecting higher-order corrections, even neutrino observation in the near detector does not give a chance to differentiate their character. However, this possibility appears in the leading-order after the neutrino oscillations observed in far detector.     

Effect of ausforming temperature and strain on the bainitic transformation kinetics of a low carbon boron steel

The effect of ausforming temperature and strain on the bainitic transformation kinetics was investigated in a low carbon boron steel. A new mechanism, which is based on the competition between the increase in nucleation rate and the decrease in average volume of bainite sheaf after deformation, is proposed. The increase in nucleation rate is due to the decrease in boron concentration at the grain boundaries after small deformation and the formation of sub-grain boundaries at the grain interior after large deformation. The decrease in average volume of bainite sheaf is ascribed to the frequent impingement of bainite sub-units after deformation. The increase in nucleation rate after deformation results in the decrease in incubation time, which is confirmed from the experiment. The increase in nucleation rate overcomes the decrease in average volume of bainite sheaf, resulting in the increase in transformation velocity and volume fraction after small deformation. On the contrary, the decrease in the average volume of bainite sheaf overcomes the increase in nucleation rate after large deformation, leading to the decrease in transformation velocity and volume fraction of bainite.     

用原子吸收光谱法分析铁路运输对周边脐橙种植园土壤元素的影响

铁路运输在推动路域经济发展的同时,也会对路域生态环境带来某些不良影响。水果品质与种植园土壤元素含量有直接关系,研究铁路周边脐橙种植园土壤元素含量对于农产品安全以及铁路周边生态环境建设都具有十分重要的意义。脐橙是一种人们十分喜欢的优质水果,在铁路周边尤其是四川省、重庆市、湖北省、江西省、贵州省等南方地区的铁路周边的栽种面积很大。应用原子吸收光谱法检测了四川省金堂县境内1997年建成的成达铁路沿线脐橙种植园土壤与对照土壤中Pb,Cd,Mn,Cu,Zn等多种元素的含量。结果表明, 铁路周边脐橙种植园土壤中重金属元素Pb和中量元素Mn比对照土壤增加明显,但重金属元素Cd与微量元素Cu和Zn在铁路周边脐橙种植园土壤与对照土壤之间差别并不明显。     

基于同态滤波的遥感薄云去除算法

目前常用的遥感薄云去除法是同态滤波法,但由于所采用的滤波器的局限性,传统的同态滤波法只能去除处于低频区域的云,而对处于高频区域的云则没有处理效果。因此在研究传统同态滤波算法,选取性能最佳的频域滤波器对图像进行处理的基础上,引入了空域3×3中值滤波,用像素点3×3邻域内9个像素点的中值来代替该点的像素值,旨在对前者无法去除的高频突变云区进行处理。而后结合主观视觉和客观统计分析两方面对仿真结果进行评价,经分析表明,用该方法处理过的影像在信息未受损失的情况下,高频突变云有所减少,达到了预期目的。     

忽地笑鳞茎中总生物碱含量的月动态变化

采用紫外分光光度法测定了不同月份忽地笑鳞茎中总生物碱含量,为确定适宜的采收时间提供实验依据。结果表明,忽地笑鳞茎中总生物碱含量随生长发育时期或月份不同存在一定差异,其中11月的最高,12月次之,1月的最低,最高值与最低值相比,约为2.6倍,差异达极显著水平(P<0.01)。精密度、稳定性实验及回收率等方法学考察表明,紫外分光光度法测定忽地笑鳞茎中总生物碱含量效果好,稳定性强,方法可靠。综合忽地笑鳞茎中总生物碱含量、中药材产量和土地利用率等因素考虑,以11月底前后采收比较适宜。     

基于BCR和HG-ICP-AES的矿区土壤重金属污染特征分析

建立了基于BCR法(连续提取法)和HG-ICP-AES技术的土壤重金属形态含量的检测方法。在选定的实验条件下,HG-ICP-AES对Hg, Pb和As的检测限分别达到0.6,1.5和0.8 ng·mL-1。对国家标准沉积物样品中Hg,Pb和As的含量进行对照测定,检测结果与推荐值一致,标准物质中Hg, Pb和As多次重复测定的RSD均<8%。应用本法实测了湘西某有色金属矿区土壤中Hg, Pb和As各形态的含量,发现矿区土壤中Hg, Pb和As均以残渣态为主,有机态和Fe-Mn氧化态次之,酸交换态含量较少;与对照区相比,矿区土壤中酸交换态、Fe-Mn氧化态、有机态、残渣态Hg, Pb和As的含量分别增加1.2, 3.0, 47, 272倍(Hg); 1.2, 4.6, 8.1, 4.5倍(Pb); 1.5, 2.9, 3.3, 2.2倍(As); 表明湘西矿区土壤同时存在Hg, Pb和As的复合污染。     

On the absence of logarithmic growths in mass parameters in renormalized perturbation theory

A systematic analysis is carried out in order to prove, under some given conditions, the absence of logarithmic growths in mass parameters in the theory, when the latter are scaled to zero, in renormalized perturbation theory in Euclidean space with non-exceptional external momenta. The rules developed are simple to apply and to verify in terms of the structure of the proper and connected graph associated with the amplitude in question. All subtractions of renormalization are carried directly in momentum space, about the origin, with the degree of divergence of a subtraction coinciding with the dimensionality of the corresponding subdiagram.     

XPS and SIMS investigation on the role of nitrogen in Si nanocrystals formation

Since the demonstration of optical gain in silicon nanocrystals, in the last few years several papers appeared in the literature reporting gain measurements in silicon nanocrystals embedded in a silica matrix produced by different techniques. However, it is still unclear which are the structural, physical and chemical factors that contribute to enhance photoluminescence and gain in this type of samples. In particular, the presence and the role of nitrogen in the SiO₂ matrix are in fact supposed to be essential factors in understanding the gain mechanism.In fact it is possible to obtain similar samples with very different nitrogen content in the silica matrix changing one of the precursor gases used in the deposition process, thus evidencing the structural and chemical differences introduced by the presence of nitrogen. In this paper SIMS and XPS analysis of two series of similar samples, but with a very different nitrogen content, will be presented and compared. The data collected at different annealing temperatures, together with ellipsometric measurements, give important information on the role played by the nitrogen present in the matrix in the process of silicon nanocrystal formation. Moreover, we demonstrate that the annealing process causes always some oxidation of the sample surface and that nitrogen is incorporated in the material from the annealing atmosphere in nitrogen free samples.     

Uncertainty in the evaluation of occupational exposure to whole-body vibration

Uncertainties associated with field assessments of daily exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) have been investigated in four categories of work vehicles (fork lift trucks, wheel loaders, garbage trucks, buses) in different working conditions. A total of 50 vehicles were included in the study. WBV exposures were measured in different field conditions in marble quarries, marble laboratories, dockyards, paper mills, transportation and public utilities: over 700 individual vibration measurements were analysed to quantify relevant uncertainty components due to changes in the operators’ working methods, variations in the characteristics and conditions of the machines, changes in the characteristics of the travelling surface, uncertainty in the evaluation of exposure duration, and systematic errors due to measurement equipment. The methods used in the study to calculate measurement uncertainties are in accordance with the ISO publication “Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement”. The study made it possible to isolate major sources of uncertainty in field assessment of daily exposures to WBV. The investigation revealed that, in all the field conditions, differences in the characteristics of the machines and/or in working cycles were the most relevant uncertainty components. The overall relative uncertainty p in WBV field assessment was in the range 14% <p<32%, whereas the relative uncertainty caused by transducer and measurement equipment in a correctly calibrated system is less than 4%.