Parameters Effects Evaluation of Microbial Strengthening of Sandy Soils in Mixing Experiments Using Taguchi Methodology

The effects of experimental parameters including soil type, curing duration, inoculum size, and biomass and nutrients concentration on soil strengthening due to calcite precipitation by Sporosarcina pasteurii PTCC 1645 were investigated. The laboratory-scale mixing experiments on remolded samples were designed by the Taguchi method. Soil type proved to be the most incorporating factor, followed by curing time and nutrient concentration. The main effect and the interactions of the parameters were presented and the optimal conditions were obtained. This suggests the importance of local conditions including soil type on any future large-scale, in situ application.     

In memoriam

Microcosm experiments were performed to identify the influence of bacterial cell surfaces on the morphology, mineralogy, size and solubility of CaCO₃ precipitated in response to the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea in an artificial groundwater (AGW) by the ureolytic bacteria, Bacillus pasteurii. In each microcosm, B. pasteurii were contained within a cellulose dialysis membrane (10 K Dalton MWCO), resulting in bacteria-inclusive and bacteria-free AGW solution. Urea hydrolysis by B. pasteurii resulted in the production of ammonium and an increase in pH in the whole AGW solution. This initiated predominantly rhombohedral calcite precipitation at the same critical saturation state ( S _critical = 12) in the B. pasteurii-inclusive and bacteria-free zone of the AGW, indicating the mineralogy and morphology of CaCO₃ precipitation is not controlled by B. pasteurii surfaces. However, the temporal evolution of distinctly different lognormal crystal-size-distributions in the B. pasteurii-inclusive and bacteria-free zone of the AGW resulted from identical changes in bulk solution chemistry. Specifically, B. pasteurii increased the size and size variance of crystals, and led to a greater crystal growth rate throughout the experiments, relative to bacteria-free AGW. Calculated crystal solubility (ln K _S0 ) was lower for crystals > 4000 nm in diameter, reflecting smaller molar surface areas. This suggests that the larger crystals generated in the presence of B. pasteurii have a lower affinity for re-dissolution than those generated in the bacteria-free AGW, which may act as a positive feedback to maintain larger crystal sizes in the presence of B. pasteurii. During ureolysis, higher bacterial concentrations may therefore generate larger and less soluble carbonate crystals. This has important implications for the adaptation of bacterial ureolysis as a method for precipitating calcium carbonate and co-precipitating metals and radionuclides in contaminated aquifers.     

Removal of Contaminating Metals from Soil by Sulfur-Based Bioleaching and Biogenic Sulfide-Based Precipitation

The potential of a hybrid process incorporating sulfur-based bioleaching and sulfide-based precipitation for treatment of metal-contaminated soil was examined in batch-type experiments. The sulfur-based soil bioleaching process with Acidithiobacillus sp. could be initiated at a wide range of initial pH from 4.0 to 6.3. After 15 days, 98% of Zn, 89% of Cu and 79% of Cd was bioleached. The gaseous sulfides recycling from Desulfovibrio sp.-mediated sulfate-reducing reactor via N₂ sparging efficiently treated metal-loaded soil leachate. With a sulfide/metal ratio of 3.0, 88% of Zn, 100% of Cu and 95% of Cd were precipitated, resulting in effluent metal concentrations of 3.5 mg Zn²⁺/L, 0.2 mg Cu²⁺/L and 0.03 mg Cd²⁺/L.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Geomicrobiology Journal to view the supplemental file.     

Modified Method for Purifying Rat Liver Branched-Chain α-Ketoacid Dehydrogenase Complex

Branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the branched-chain amino acid catabolic pathway. We have developed a method of BCKDC purification from rat liver using hydrophobic interaction column chromatography (Shimomura et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 283, 293–299 (1990)). Here we report a modification of the method designed to obtain the purified enzyme with high reproducibility.     

Circadian Rhythms,Monoamines and Behavior: Introduction and Overview

Predictions for the phase angle differences (ψ) between the activity rhythm and the zeitgeber for different skeleton photoperiods based on the phase response curve (PRC) and the free-running period (τ) of the field mouse Mus booduga were made. These predictions were based on two assumptions: (i) The PRC for light pulses of 1 h duration and ca 45 lx intensity should resemble the PRC for pulses of 15 min duration and 1000 lx intensity. (ii) One of the two light pulses (LP) constituting the skeleton photoperiod should always impinge upon that zone of the PRC which has a slope of < ?2. Experiments were performed to compare ψ under skeleton and complete photoperiods and also to test the assumptions made in predicting ψ. The results show that the basic oscillation underlying the activity rhythm of the field mouse Mus booduga undergoes a “phase-jump” when two brief light pulses (of 1 h duration) were used to mimic a photoperiod of 20 h. The ψ values obtained for skeleton photoperiods closely match the predicted values. Under complete photoperiods, the experimentally obtained values match the predictions only up to 16 h. We conclude therefore that beyond this photoperiod, two discrete light pulses may not be sufficient to simulate the effect of a complete photoperiod.     

1961-2005年东北地区气温和降水变化趋势

利用东北地区96个气象站1961-2005年的日平均气温和日降水量资料,采用线性倾向率法,累积距平法,Mann-Kendall法和Morlet小波分析等方法,对东北地区近45年来的气候变化和突变现象进行了研究.结果表明:近45年来,东北地区年平均气温变化在2.45-5.72℃之间,年均温呈现显著上升趋势,气候倾向率为0.38 ℃/10 a(P＜0.01),1988-1989年间发生了由低温到高温的突变;东北地区四季平均气温均呈现增高的趋势,其中冬季气温增幅最大,气候倾向率达到0.53℃/10 a,夏季气温增幅最小,0.24 ℃/10 a.东北地区年均温和季节均温年代际变化亦呈现明显的增暖趋势,年均温,春季均温和冬季均温均在1981-1990年开始变暖,夏季均温和秋季均温在1991-2000年开始变暖.东北地区气温增暖幅度随纬度的升高而增大,大兴安岭北部和小兴安岭地区是增温最明显的地区,增暖幅度较小的地区为辽河平原,辽东半岛和长白山南部地区.东北地区年降水量变化在430.40-678.72 mm之间,降水量变化趋势不明显,整体呈现减少趋势,气候倾向率为-5.71 mm/10 a(P＞0.05),1981-1990年为降水最多的年代,1982-1983年间发生了降水量由少到多的突变.四季降水量变化呈现不同的趋势,其中春季和冬季降水量呈现增多的趋势,夏季和秋季降水量呈现减少的趋势.降水量减少较明显的地区为辽东半岛和长白山南段,降水量增多较明显的地区为大兴安岭北部和松嫩平原.Morlet小波分析结果表明,东北地区年平均气温存在11a的强显著周期,此外还有24 a和6a尺度的变化周期;东北地区年降水量存在16a的强显著周期和6 a的小尺度变化周期.通过以上分析,近45 a东北地区总体气候呈现明显暖干化趋势.     

油松天然群体的种实性状表型多样性研究

为了揭示油松天然种群在不同地理环境条件下表型变异的程度和规律,在油松整个天然分布范围内选择了12个具有代表性的居群作为研究对象,对其球果、种子、种翅等12个种实性状的变异程度及其与环境因子间关系进行了比较分析。结果显示:(1)各个性状在居群内和居群间均存在较大的变异(CV>12%)。其中千山(QS),曾家镇(ZJ)和互助(HZ)3个居群表现出了较高的变异(CV>20%),而球果干重(CDW)和种子长(CL)是所有表型性状中变异幅度最大的(CV分别为31%和21%),但种翅性状与其他性状相比具有较高的稳定性。(2)巢式设计方差分析表明,在居群内表型分化系数(Vst)变化在3.18%~89.86%之间,而群体间的Vst为38.97%;与其他针叶树种相比,油松拥有较高的表型分化系数,且居群内的变异程度远高于居群间的变异,尤其是千山(QS)、曾家镇(ZJ)和互助(HZ)3个居群,这说明油松具有较高的环境异质性适应能力或恶劣环境耐受能力。(3)相关性分析表明,该研究的各形态特征与潜在蒸发量均为负相关,且大部分形态指标间及它们与潜在蒸发量间存在显著相关性,表明潜在蒸发量是油松形态特征变化的最重要环境影响因子,预示油松最适宜生长于温暖潮湿的环境中;并表明因各形态特征间相互紧密关联,所以它们受环境条件影响而共变。     

A Novel Method for Separation of Caseins from Milk by Phosphates Precipitation

Milk protein of farm animals is difficult to isolate because of the presence of casein micelles, which are hard to separate from whey by using centrifugation or filtration. Insoluble casein micelles also create an obstacle for purification instruments to operate efficiently. The conventional method, to precipitate caseins by lowering pH to 4.6 and then recover the whey fraction for further purification using chromatography techniques, is not applicable to proteins having an isoelectric point similar to caseins. In addition, the acid condition used for casein removal usually leads to significantly poor yields and reduced biological activities. In this study, a novel method of precipitating caseins under neutral or weak acidic conditions is presented. The method employs a phosphate salt and a freeze–thaw procedure to obtain a casein-free whey protein fraction. This fraction contains more than 90% yield with little loss of bioactivity of the target protein, and is readily available for further chromatographic purification. This method was successfully applied to purify recombinant human factor IX and recombinant hirudin from the milk of transgenic pigs in the presented study. It is an efficient pretreatment approach prior to chromatographic purification of milk protein from farm animals and particularly of great value to collect those recombinants secreted from transgenic livestock.     

梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)生理与个体用水策略对降水改变的响应

随着全球变化的加剧,降水改变正导致荒漠生态系统中植物用水策略的适应性变化;对降水变化响应的种间差异性影响着荒漠植物群落组成。研究将生理生态与个体形态尺度相结合,调查中亚荒漠关键种梭梭Haloxylon ammodendron对降水变化导致的自然生境中水分条件改变的响应与适应。实验于2005年生长期开展,在古尔班通古特沙漠南缘原始盐生旱生荒漠中设置3个降水梯度（自然、双倍和无降水）;观测并比较不同降水条件下光合作用、蒸腾作用、叶水势、水分利用效率、地上生物量累积和根系分布的变化。结果表明,梭梭主要利用降水形成的浅层土壤水维持生存;有效的形态调节和较强的气孔控制是其维持光合能力以及适应降水变化的主要机制;降水增多对其产生正效应,预示着梭梭可能在未来种间竞争和群落演替中占有优势。