Laboratory scale photobioreactor

Summary A photobioreactor using three concentric glass cylinders, with a light source mounted on the axis within them is described. The space between two innermost cylinders is used as a waterjacket, while the culture of phototrophic microorganisms is in the chamber between the outer cylinder and the middle one. This chamber is also equipped with a stirrer. Rhodobacter capsulatus has been grown in the device at biomass concentration up to 550 mg/l without light limitation.     

Laboratory scale structural genomics

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the development of the TB structural genomics consortium crystallization facility has paralleled several local proteomics research efforts that have grown out of gene expression microarray and comparative genomics studies. Collective experience gathered from TB consortium labs and other centers involved in the NIH-NIGMS protein structure initiative allows us to explore the possibilities and challenges of pursuing structural genomics on an academic laboratory scale. We discuss our procedures and protocols for genomic targeting approaches, primer design, cloning, small scale expression screening, scale-up and purification, through to automated crystallization screening and data collection. The procedures are carried out by a small group using a combination of traditional approaches, innovative molecular biochemistry approaches, software automation, and a modest investment in robotic equipment.     

Factors influencing MOW deinking: Laboratory scale studies

The deinking of MOW is examined at laboratorial scale. The effect of deinking aids, pre-washing and mixing are studied. The operating conditions during pulp treatment affect the pulp and paper properties, interfering with the mechanism of ink removal and modifying the ink particle characteristics. Pre-washing the pulp facilitates the deinking process. Cellulolytic enzymes and deinking chemicals are comparable in terms of ink removal ability.     

Design,construction, and operation of some all-glass pilot-plant fermetors

The design, Construction, and operation of a 400 liter all-glass fermentor, made from industrial glass Components, is described in detail. Outline details are also given for 100 and liter vessels of similar construction. The performance of the 400 liter fermentor with a variety of organisms is discussed. Harvesting performance. Using a disk-stak centrifuge, is also described.     

东湖大型围隔及围栏内植物群落和水质的变化

为恢复湖泊水生植被,初步研究了建在武汉东湖的大型围隔、围栏中的植物群落和水质的季节动态以及两者间的关系,结果表明：围隔、围栏中,植物生物量明显增加,漂浮植物易定植,水绵和刚毛藻易发生,植物群落结构难以自然地得到优化;养鱼对水生维管束植物的生长和恢复不利;水中总氮与总磷的变化具一致性,它们与水生植物的生物量间关系密切,围隔中水生植物的良好生长使水的总氮、总磷浓度明显降低     

High-density photoautotrophic algal cultures: design, construction, and operation of a novel photobioreactor system

A photobioreactor system has been designed, constructed and implemented to achieve high photosynthetic rates in high-density photoautotrophic algal cell suspensions. This unit is designed for efficient oxygen and biomass production rates, and it also can be used for the production of secreted products. A fiber-optic based optical transmission system that is coupled to an internal light distribution system illuminates the culture volume uniformly, at light intensities of 1.7 mW/cm(2) over a specific surface area of 3.2 cm(2)/cm(3). Uniform light distribution is achieved throughout the reactor without interfering with the flow pattern required to keep the cells in suspension. An on-line ultrafiltration unit exchanges spent with fresh medium, and its use results in very high cell densities, up to 10(9) cells/mL [3% (w/v)] for eukaryotic green alga chlorella vulgaris. DNA histograms obtained form flow cytometric analysis reveal that on-line ultrafiltration influences the growth pattern. Prior to ultrafiltration the cells seem to have at a particular point in the cell cycle where they contain multiple chromosomal equivalents. Following ultrafiltration, these cells divide, and the new cells are committed to division so that cell growth resumes. The Prototype photobioreactor system was operated both in batch and in continuous mode for over 2 months. The measured oxygen production rate of 4-6 mmol/L culture h under continuous operation is consistent with the predicted performance of the unit for the provided light intensity.     

Laboratory scale bioreactor for solid state processes

Engineering aspects of solid state processes, design of fermentors, control systems for maintaining parameters are important problems for the research in this area. Laboratory scale reactors (2 kg dry-matter capacity) were constructed to allow control of the temperature and moisture level of the substrate without agitation. Forced aeration is accomplished by means of thermostated air injected at the bottom of the reactor. By bubbling in a waterbath and after heating, the thermostated air allows the regulation of temperature and moisture content of the medium during the cultivation. These reactors have been used for the study of protein enrichment of leached sugar-beet pulp by solid state processes.     

The endo-upwelling concept: from geothermal convection to reef construction

Measurements of interstitial waters in deep wells (0–500 m) in Mururoa and in shallow bores (0–35 m) in Tikehau (French Polynesia) have shown high contents of dissolved nutrients and relatively low salinities, implying a deep oceanic origin. Studies of specific thermal fields within these atolls and carbonate platforms have led to models of deep oceanic water circulation by convection resulting from upward geothermal heat flow. Cold, low-salinity, low-pH, high-CO₂, nutrient-rich deep oceanic water pervades the permeable atoll, where it loses density by heating related to geothermal heat flow, subsequently rising to seep out through the outer rim. New nutrients are thus continuously provided, enabling the reef-building community (algae+corals) to thrive in optimal conditions for photosynthesis and carbonate precipitation. This geothermal endo-upwelling concept is defined and its role in atoll trophic networks is emphasized as a necessary and sufficient process for reef net production and organic matter exportation. The endo-upwelled flow can then be viewed as a key factor for internal diagenesis, as early cementation of reef framework and dolomitization of deep limestone. Generalization of this interstitial, deep seawater circulation is discussed and linked to previously described thermal convection models in Florida or raised atolls.     

The Computerized Laboratory Notebook concept for genetic toxicology experimentation and testing

We describe a microcomputer system utilizing the Computerized Laboratory Notebook (CLN) concept developed in our laboratory for the purpose of automating the Battery of Leukocyte Tests (BLT). The BLT was designed to evaluate blood specimens for toxic, immunotoxic, and genotoxic effects after in vivo exposure to putative mutagens. A system was developed with the advantages of low cost, limited spatial requirements, ease of use for personnel inexperienced with computers, and applicability to specific testing yet flexibility for experimentation. This system eliminates cumbersome record keeping and repetitive analysis inherent in genetic toxicology bioassays. Statistical analysis of the vast quantity of data produced by the BLT would not be feasible without a central database. Our central database is maintained by an integrated package which we have adapted to develop the CLN. The clonal assay of lymphocyte mutagenesis (CALM) section of the CLN is demonstrated. PC-Slaves expand the microcomputer to multiple workstations so that our computerized notebook can be used next to a hood while other work is done in an office and instrument room simultaneously. Communication with peripheral instruments is an indispensable part of many laboratory operations, and we present a representative program, written to acquire and analyze CALM data, for communicating with both a liquid scintillation counter and an ELISA plate reader. In conclusion we discuss how our computer system could easily be adapted to the needs of other laboratories.     

Linking the concept of scale to studies of biological diversity: evolving approaches and tools

Although the concepts of scale and biological diversity independently have received rapidly increasing attention in the scientific literature since the 1980s, the rate at which the two concepts have been investigated jointly has grown much more slowly. We find that scale considerations have been incorporated explicitly into six broad areas of investigation related to biological diversity: (1) heterogeneity within and among ecosystems, (2) disturbance ecology, (3) conservation and restoration, (4) invasion biology, (5) importance of temporal scale for understanding processes, and (6) species responses to environmental heterogeneity. In addition to placing the papers of this Special Feature within the context of brief summaries of the expanding literature on these six topics, we provide an overview of tools useful for integrating scale considerations into studies of biological diversity. Such tools include hierarchical and structural-equation modelling, kriging, variable-width buffers, k -fold cross-validation, and cascading graph diagrams, among others. Finally, we address some of the major challenges and research frontiers that remain, and conclude with a look to the future.     

Distribution of forest dwelling carabids (Coleoptera): spatial scale and the concept of communities

Associations between spatial distribution of ground-beetles (Carabidae) and environmental variables were studied over three hierarchical scales in deciduous forest in central Alberta, Canada We also examined the relationship between species abundance and distribution on several scales ranging from the local scale of our study to that of the North American temperate deciduous forest Understorey plant cover, tree cover, and occurrence of other carabids were associated with distribution of particular species at the smallest ecological scales within populations However, great differences in population sues of carabid species among five distinct sites several kilometres apart were not correlated with variation in the same environmental variables In central Alberta, abundance and extent of distribution were correlated positively among the 30 carabid species collected, and distributions of the ten species classified as 'core' species were generally aggregated at all spatial scales On the continental scale, there was a significant positive correlation between abundance and distribution for the 114 species of the entire data set, and the six species meeting the criteria of 'core' taxa on this scale, were also 'core' elements in central Alberta Further analysis of covariance of core elements of species assemblages across different taxa provides a sound empirical approach for understanding community organization     

Thermocline deepening boosts ecosystem metabolism: evidence from a large‐scale lake enclosure experiment simulating a summer storm

Extreme weather events can pervasively influence ecosystems. Observations in lakes indicate that severe storms in particular can have pronounced ecosystem‐scale consequences, but the underlying mechanisms have not been rigorously assessed in experiments. One major effect of storms on lakes is the redistribution of mineral resources and plankton communities as a result of abrupt thermocline deepening. We aimed at elucidating the importance of this effect by mimicking in replicated large enclosures (each 9 m in diameter, ca. 20 m deep, ca. 1300 m³ in volume) a mixing event caused by a severe natural storm that was previously observed in a deep clear‐water lake. Metabolic rates were derived from diel changes in vertical profiles of dissolved oxygen concentrations using a Bayesian modelling approach, based on high‐frequency measurements. Experimental thermocline deepening stimulated daily gross primary production (GPP) in surface waters by an average of 63% for >4 weeks even though thermal stratification re‐established within 5 days. Ecosystem respiration (ER) was tightly coupled to GPP, exceeding that in control enclosures by 53% over the same period. As GPP responded more strongly than ER, net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of the entire water column was also increased. These protracted increases in ecosystem metabolism and autotrophy were driven by a proliferation of inedible filamentous cyanobacteria released from light and nutrient limitation after they were entrained from below the thermocline into the surface water. Thus, thermocline deepening by a single severe storm can induce prolonged responses of lake ecosystem metabolism independent of other storm‐induced effects, such as inputs of terrestrial materials by increased catchment run‐off. This highlights that future shifts in frequency, severity or timing of storms are an important component of climate change, whose impacts on lake thermal structure will superimpose upon climate trends to influence algal dynamics and organic matter cycling in clear‐water lakes.     

洞穴鱼类:概念、多样性及研究进展

洞穴鱼类是淡水鱼类中一个特殊的生态类群,其生活史的自然完成离不开洞穴或地下水环境。洞穴鱼类可分为典型和非典型两种类型,前者具有易辨识的特殊适应性形态结构(如眼消失、身体透明等),后者此类特征不明显。目前世界典型洞穴鱼类共记录有107种,其中鲤形目和鲇形目的种类最多,分别占49.5%和24.3%;在科级水平上以鲤科和爬鳅科最为丰富。东南亚和中南美是洞穴鱼类多样性最高的地区,有着世界上75.0%的典型洞穴鱼类。中国的洞穴鱼类具有物种多样性高、但集中出现在个别类群(如金线鲃属(Sinocyclocheilus)和高原鳅属(Triplophysa))、物种分化强烈、分布范围狭窄、种群数量小等特点。洞穴鱼类学是一门交叉科学,研究涉及系统学、生态学、生理学、保护生物学等众多学科领域,但目前研究仍多围绕演化问题展开。中国洞穴鱼类研究还处于系统分类和区系研究水平,其他有关学科的研究有待开展。     

Species: the concept, category and taxon

The term species by itself is vague because it refers to the species concept, the species category and the species taxon, all of which are distinct although related to one another. The species concept is not primarily a part of systematics, but has always been an integral part of basic biological theory, It is based on evolutionary theory and applies only to sexually reproducing organisms. The species concept and the phyletic lineage concept are quite distinct although they are related to one another. The important aspect of the species concept is lack of gene flow between different species, and hence the defining criterion of the species is genetic isolation. The species concept is often considered as non‐dimensional, both in time and space. Species possess three different major properties, namely genetic isolation, reproductive isolation and ecological isolation; these properties evolve at different times and under the effect of different causes during the speciation process. Speciation requires an external isolating barrier during the initial allopatric phase in which genetic isolation evolves and must reach 100% efficiency. The subsequent sympatric phase of speciation occurs after the disappearance of the external isolating barrier when members of the two newly evolved species can interact with one another and exert mutual selective demands on one another. Much of the reproductive and ecological isolation evolves during this secondary sympatric phase. The species category is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy and serves as the basis on which the diversity of organisms is described; it is not the same as the species concept. The species category applied to all organisms, sexually and asexually reproducing. The species taxon is the practical application of the species category in systematics with the recognition of species taxa requiring many arbitrary decisions. No single set of rules exist by which the species category can be applied to all organisms. Recognition of species taxa in asexually reproducing organisms is based on amount of variation and gaps in the variation of phenotypic features associated with ecological attributes of these organisms as compared with similar attributes in sympatric species taxa of sexually reproducing organisms. Species taxa are multidimensional in that they exist over space–time and often have fuzzy borders. Because recognition of species taxa, including those in sexually reproducing organisms, depends on many arbitrary decisions especially when dealing with broad geographical and temporal ranges, species taxa cannot be used as the foundation for developing and testing theoretical concepts in evolutionary theory which can only be done with the non‐dimensional species concept.     

Reindeer habitat use in relation to two small wind farms,during preconstruction,construction, and operation

Worldwide there is a rush toward wind power development and its associated infrastructure. In Fennoscandia, large‐scale wind farms comprising several hundred windmills are currently built in important grazing ranges used for Sámi reindeer husbandry. In this study, reindeer habitat use was assessed using reindeer fecal pellet group counts in relation to two relatively small wind farms, with 8 and 10 turbines, respectively. In 2009, 1,315 15‐m² plots were established and pellet groups were counted and cleaned from the plots. This was repeated once a year in May, during preconstruction, construction, and operation of the wind farms, covering 6 years (2009–2014) of reindeer habitat use in the area. We modeled the presence/absence of any pellets in a plot at both the local (wind farm site) and regional (reindeer calving to autumn range) scale with a hierarchical logistic regression, where spatial correlation was accounted for via random effects, using vegetation type, and the interaction between distance to wind turbine and time period as predictor variables. Our results revealed an absolute reduction in pellet groups by 66% and 86% around each wind farm, respectively, at local scale and by 61% at regional scale during the operation phase compared to the preconstruction phase. At the regional, scale habitat use declined close to the turbines in the same comparison. However, at the local scale, we observed increased habitat use close to the wind turbines at one of the wind farms during the operation phase. This may be explained by continued use of an important migration route close to the wind farm. The reduced use at the regional scale nevertheless suggests that there may be an overall avoidance of both wind farms during operation, but further studies of reindeer movement and behavior are needed to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms behind this suggested avoidance.     

土壤保持服务:概念、评估与展望

土壤保持服务作为一项重要的生态系统调节服务,是防止区域土地退化、降低洪涝灾害风险的重要保障。针对在全球范围内影响最大的土壤水蚀,基于土壤侵蚀、运移和输出过程,对土壤保持服务的概念、评估方法进行了梳理总结。土壤保持服务是指生态系统防止土壤流失的侵蚀调控能力及对泥沙的储积保持能力。土壤保持服务的评估往往是基于通用土壤流失方程RUSLE(Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation),以潜在土壤侵蚀量(裸地时土壤侵蚀量)与实际土壤侵蚀量之差,作为指标衡量。由于生态过程具有尺度依赖性,对土壤保持服务的有效评估,需要采用多尺度方法。土壤保持服务与人类需求紧密相关,在未来土壤保持服务研究中应强调连接土壤保持服务与人类福祉,对土壤保持服务产生、流动、使用的全过程及土壤保持服务时空动态与人类福祉变化的关系进行探究。     

整合系统发育信息: 概念、方法与挑战

DNA序列、形态和其他同源性状可以用于推断物种的起源和历史。整合所有可利用的系统发育信息可以大大拓展所覆盖类群的范围, 推进我们对现存生物的认识, 而且使得生物学家提出和验证的假说尺度更广, 更有统计说服力。文章综述了整合系统发育信息的概念及其与传统分析的异同, 重点讨论了整合系统发育信息中应用最广的超级树(Supertree)和超级矩阵(Supermatrix)方法; 在比较分析了这两个方法的优缺点之后, 介绍了近些年提出的新的方法。文章详细分析了整合系统发育信息的发展所面临的来自数据和理论方面的挑战, 认为尽管整合分析的发展困难较多, 它仍然是到目前为止构建完整生命之树(网)的唯一方法; 它的完善必将拓展我们对于生物进化过程的认识, 并对进化生物学相关学科产生积极影响。