Microbial desulphurization of heavy oils and bitumen

Most oil producing countries have extensive reserves of heavy oil and bitumen. As easily accessible sources of conventional crudes decline, these reserves will become more important in supplementing the energy requirements. Heavy oil and bitumen are highly viscous and contain 3 to 6% sulphur. These objectionable quantities of sulphur must be removed before being acceptable as refinery feedstock. This paper addresses the potential of biological desulphurization of heavy oil and bitumen. The aerobic and anaerobic processes to remove organic as well as inorganic sulphur have been reviewed. To date, most studies were performed with model substrates, particularly dibenzothiophene (DBT) in a synthetic medium. Early work concerned with the isolation of microorganisms, identification and characterization of intermediate metabolites, and the development of growth media. No commercially viable process has emerged since the engineering details of the process have not been addressed conclusively. Due to high utility and catalyst cost conventional hydrodesulphurization processes are reported to be uneconomic in case of high sulphur oils. Microbial desulphurization, on the other hand, appears to be promising due to the inherent low energy requirement. This process may become more attractive by the application of genetically modified bacteria and improvements in bioreactor design.     

Advances in the molecular biology of plant seed storage proteins

Plant seed storage proteins were among the first proteins to be isolated (20); however, only recently, as a result of using molecular biology techniques, have the amino acid sequences of many of these proteins been determined. With the accumulation of amino acid sequence data for many vicilin-type storage proteins much has been learned concerning the location of conserved amino acid regions and other regions which can tolerate amino acid sequence variation. Combining this knowledge with recent advances in plant gene transfer technologies will allow molecular biologists to correct (by using amino acid replacement mutations) the sulfur amino acid deficiency inherent to bean seed storage proteins. The development of more nutritious soybean and common bean seeds will be of benefit to programs involving human and animal nutrition.     

Molecular biology of Philadelphia chromosome in chronic granulocytic leukaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

In classical t(9;22) translocation, as observed in chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL), a hybrid DNA unit is produced, including a rearranged PHL gene, previously known as bcr (breakpoint cluster region) plus the translocated c-abl gene from chromosome 9: a hybrid bcr-abl protein, p210 is formed, with increased tyrosine kinase activity. Such DNA rearrangement, with a p210 protein synthesis, is also found in cases of Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but in apparently similar cases the bcr gene is not rearranged, and a novel p190 abl-related protein can be found; c-abl rearrangement has also been observed.It is thus established that correlations between cytogenetic and molecular events can be found in CGL and ALL, as in other haemopoietic malignancies: translocation and possible rearrangement of the c-abl oncogene seem of particular importance in this case.     

寄生于蚊类的罗索线虫属一新种——郴州罗索线虫(嘴刺目:索科)

作者等于1984年8月以来在湖南南部郴州市郊区水田中采到一种寄生于三带喙库蚊(Culex tritaeniorhynchus)幼虫胸内的索线虫,自然感染率较高,寄生较普遍。经鉴定属于线虫纲(Nematoda)嘴刺目(Enoplida),索科(Mermithidae),罗索属(Romanomermis)的一新种。文中量度除标明外,均以μm为单位。     

广东和广西条鳅亚科鱼类及一新属三新种描述(鲤形目:鳅科)

为了编著我国的鱼类志,作者于1984年10月至12月在广东和广西两省(区)采得一批条鳅亚科(Noemacheilinae)鱼类标本,经鉴定有三属五种,其中有一个新种,即稀有条鳅Noemacheilus rarus sp. nov.。另有一个新属和两个新种:间条鳅属Heminoemacheilus gen.nov.、郑氏间条鳅Heminocmacheilus zhengbaoshani,sp.nov.和叉尾平鳅Oreonectes furcocaudalis sp.nov.,分别由中国科学院动物研究所郑葆珊研究员和暨南大学郑慈英副教授、中国科学院水生生物研究所张卫同志提供的。根据我们的采集和原有的记载,广东和广西两省(区)的条鳅亚科鱼类共四属九种,现整理如下:     

有壳变形虫在我国第四纪古环境研究中的意义

有壳变形虫在我国第四纪地层中广泛分布,常见种有旋匣壳虫、无棘匣壳虫、针棘匣壳虫和砂壳虫未定种等。作为能在低pH环境下抗溶蚀的原生动物,它们在缺乏钙质化石的地层中是特别有用的环境标志。在我国,有壳变形虫在沿海平原与陆架海区是辨认海相、陆相和海陆过渡相沉积的宝贵标志。此外,有壳变形虫对于营养水平、沉积速率和其它环境参数反应灵敏,是第四纪地层古湖泊学的潜在指示化石。但是为了将有壳变形虫用于我国古湖泊学研究,需要对其现代分布进行定量的研究。 本文描述了一个新种,即亚洲鸟嘴虫Hoogenraadia asiatica。     

中国斑腿蝗科一新亚科及一新属新种记述(直翅目:蝗总科)

赤胫稻蝗Oxya diminuta Walser, 1871自建立以来,曾有作者将其归入凸额蝗属Traulia (Kirby,1910),但许多作者(Bolivar,1918;Willemse,1925;Fulmek,1926;Tinkham,1940;Kalshoven and Van der vecht, 1950;Willemse, 1955;夏凯龄,1958;Hollis,1971)都把它归入稻蝗属Oxya Audinet-Serville,1831,而Hollis(1975)又把它归入卵翅蝗属Caryanda Stl,1878。本文在综合分析了各外部形态特征后,将赤胫稻蝗     

藏雪鸡一新亚种——云南亚种(鸡形目:雉科)

在横断山区鸟类区系分类的研究中,发现采自云南中甸,西藏昌都和左贡地区的藏雪鸡(Tetraogallus tibetanus Gould)标本与已知的亚种有显著差异,认为是一新亚种。藏雪鸡为云南省的首次纪录。     

费伯克(竹蜓)(Verbeekina)壳的构造

本文所研究的费伯克得(竹蜓)标本系采自广西合山下二叠统茅口组的石灰岩,我们在研究其立体标本时发现,由于(竹蜓)壳内圈和外圈的包旋轴有微小的变化,使得至少有一部分拟旋脊延伸方向与前一壳圈上的隔壁沟斜交。拟旋脊常常时隐时现呈虚线状,甚至在列孔两侧的隔壁上并无拟旋脊出现,而只具有列孔,隔壁沟也不是完全平直,壁孔的孔经大约为列孔的十分之一。本文还阐述了Verbeekina的拟旋脊细微构造。