Greenhouse Effects due to Man-Mad Perturbations of Trace Gases

Nitrous oxide, methane, ammonia, and a number of other trace constituents in the earth's atmosphere have infrared absorption bands in the spectral region 7 to 14 microm and contribute to the atmospheric greenhouse effect. The concentrations of these trace gases may undergo substantial changes because of man's activities. Extensive use of chemical fertilizers and combustion of fossil fuels may perturb the nitrogen cycle, leading to increases in atmospheric N(2)O, and the same perturbing processes may increase the amounts of atmospheric CH(4) and NH(3). We use a one-dimensional radiative-convective model for the atmospheric thermal structure to compute the change in the surface temperature of the earth for large assumed increases in the trace gas concentrations; doubling the N(2)O, CH(4), and NH(3) concentrations is found to cause additive increases in the surface temperature of 0.7 degrees , 0.3 degrees , and 0.1 degrees K, respectively. These systematic effects on the earth's radiation budget would have substantial climatic significance. It is therefore important that the abundances of these trace gases be accurately monitored to determine the actual trends of their concentrations.     

Composition and structure of the martian upper atmosphere: analysis of results from viking

Densities for carbon dioxide measured by the upper atmospheric mass spectrometers on Viking 1 and Viking 2 are analyzed to yield height profiles for the temperature of the martian atmosphere between 120 and 200 kilometers. Densities for nitrogen and argon are used to derive vertical profiles for the eddy diffusion coefficient over the same height range. The upper atmosphere of Mars is surprisingly cold with average temperatures for both Viking 1 and Viking 2 of less than 200 degrees K, and there is significant vertical structure. Model calculations are presented and shown to be in good agreement with measured concentrations of carbon monoxide, oxygen, and nitric oxide.     

Cleavage of proBDNF by tPA/plasmin is essential for long-term hippocampal plasticity

Long-term memory is thought to be mediated by protein synthesis-dependent, late-phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP). Two secretory proteins, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been implicated in this process, but their relationship is unclear. Here we report that tPA, by activating the extracellular protease plasmin, converts the precursor proBDNF to the mature BDNF (mBDNF), and that such conversion is critical for L-LTP expression in mouse hippocampus. Moreover, application of mBDNF is sufficient to rescue L-LTP when protein synthesis is inhibited, which suggests that mBDNF is a key protein synthesis product for L-LTP expression.     

Functional links between Aβ toxicity, endocytic trafficking, and Alzheimer's disease risk factors in yeast

Aβ (beta-amyloid peptide) is an important contributor to Alzheimer's disease (AD). We modeled Aβ toxicity in yeast by directing the peptide to the secretory pathway. A genome-wide screen for toxicity modifiers identified the yeast homolog of phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly protein (PICALM) and other endocytic factors connected to AD whose relationship to Aβ was previously unknown. The factors identified in yeast modified Aβ toxicity in glutamatergic neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans and in primary rat cortical neurons. In yeast, Aβ impaired the endocytic trafficking of a plasma membrane receptor, which was ameliorated by endocytic pathway factors identified in the yeast screen. Thus, links between Aβ, endocytosis, and human AD risk factors can be ascertained with yeast as a model system.     

Imaging doped holes in a cuprate superconductor with high-resolution Compton scattering

The high-temperature superconducting cuprate La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) (LSCO) shows several phases ranging from antiferromagnetic insulator to metal with increasing hole doping. To understand how the nature of the hole state evolves with doping, we have carried out high-resolution Compton scattering measurements at room temperature together with first-principles electronic structure computations on a series of LSCO single crystals in which the hole doping level varies from the underdoped (UD) to the overdoped (OD) regime. Holes in the UD system are found to primarily populate the O 2p(x)/p(y) orbitals. In contrast, the character of holes in the OD system is very different in that these holes mostly enter Cu d orbitals. High-resolution Compton scattering provides a bulk-sensitive method for imaging the orbital character of dopants in complex materials.     

Agricultural practices alter sex ratios in a reptile with environmental sex determination

Anthropogenic changes to the environment have the opportunity to impact natural systems, particularly in organisms that exhibit phenotypic plasticity. Species with environmental sex determination (ESD) are uniquely susceptible to changes in the stimuli that affect sexual development, potentially leading to maladaptive sex ratios. We studied the factors affecting sex determination and sex ratios in the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, in an area heavily impacted by agricultural practices. We investigated the effects of soybean, corn, and sunflower planting on incubation temperatures, sex ratios, and depredation in naturally laid nests. We also identified and analyzed a novel mitochondrial microsatellite in order to examine the presence of natal homing and determine the likelihood that nest sites impacted by agricultural practices could be transmitted across generations. Females frequently chose to nest in agricultural fields over sand prairie sites, and offspring sex ratios and depredation rates were significantly influenced by crop planting. Despite detecting considerable genetic variation in our population, we found no relationship between relatedness and nesting location, suggesting that females are not transmitting nesting sites across generations. Our results suggest that agricultural practices can directly impact populations of animals with ESD, and will need to be considered in management decisions.     

固相萃取-高效液相色谱法测定有机肥中四环素类抗生素药物残留

建立了固相萃取-高效液相色谱(SPE-HPLC)法测定有机肥中土霉素(OTC)、四环素(TC)和金霉素(CTC)3种四环素类抗生素残留的方法。肥料样品采用甲醇、EDTA和McIlvaine缓冲液的混合液(pH=7.2)为提取液,用强阴离子交换柱(SAX)-亲水亲脂萃取柱(HLB)串联进行纯化和富集。采用甲醇-乙腈-0.01mol/L草酸溶液为流动相,进行HPLC分析。3种抗生素的线性范围为0.10～20 mg/L,OTC、TC和CTC的检测限分别为0.03、0.03和0.05 mg/L。不同添加水平的样品加标回收率为64%～86%,RSD在4.14%～8.16%之间。该方法测定了上海市场上40种肥料,发现部分样品有四环素类抗生素的残留物。     

棕壤不同粒级微团聚体中磷素的保持与供应

采用对比法对采自辽宁省主要地区 1 8对不同肥力典型棕壤中不同粒级微团聚体内全磷的分布以及对磷素的保持与供应状况进行研究 ,结果表明 ,高肥土壤全磷平均含量为 0 .61 1± 0 .1 83g/kg ,低肥的为 0 .379± 0 .0 95 g/kg ;高肥土壤平均吸附磷量为 1 2 7.1± 37.1 7g/kg ,低肥的为 2 33.2± 4 7.2 8g/kg;解吸磷和解吸率高肥的为 2 6.8± 1 0 .77g/kg和 31 .65± 2 5 .66% ,低肥的为 2 1 .3± 8.98g/kg ,和 9.62± 4 .99% .高肥土壤中各粒级微团聚体的全磷含量、磷素的解吸及其解吸率都高于低肥的对应值 ,其中 ,1 0～ 5 0 μm微团聚体中磷素储量最大 ,<1 0 μm微团聚体在磷素的吸附和保持方面贡献最大 ,因此可以把它们作为棕壤的特征微团聚体 .