Photoprotective Bioactivity Present in a Unique Marine Bacteria Collection from Portuguese Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents

Interesting biological activities have been found for numerous marine compounds. In fact, screening of phylogenetically diverse marine microorganisms from extreme environments revealed to be a rational approach for the discovery of novel molecules with relevant bioactivities for industries such as pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical. Nevertheless, marine sources deliverables are still far from the expectations and new extreme sources of microbes should be explored. In this work, a marine prokaryotic collection from four Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) deep sea hydrothermal vents near the Azores Islands, Portugal, was created, characterized and tested for its photoprotective capacity. Within 246 isolates, a polyphasic approach, using chemotaxonomic and molecular typing methods, identified 23-related clusters of phenetically similar isolates with high indexes of diversity. Interestingly, 16S rRNA gene sequencing suggested the presence of 43% new prokaryotic species. A sub-set of 139 isolates of the prokaryotic collection was selected for biotechnological exploitation with 484 bacterial extracts prepared in a sustainable upscalling manner. 22% of the extracts showed an industrially relevant photoprotective activity, with two extracts, belonging to new strains of the species Shewanella algae and Vibrio fluvialis, uniquely showing UV-A, UV-B and UV-C protective capacity. This clearly demonstrates the high potential of the bacteria MAR vents collection in natural product synthesis with market applications.     

Enhanced Anti-Obesity Activities of Red Mold Dioscorea When Fermented Using Deep Ocean Water as the Culture Water

Deep ocean water (DOW) has, in previous studies, been found to be a novel anti-obesity drink and useful in raising Monascus-produced monascin and ankaflavin levels. This may resolve the limited anti-obesity ability of red mold dioscorea (RMD) known as the Monascus purpureus-fermented Disocorea batatas. This study aims to compare the anti-obesity effect of DOW-cultured RMD (DOW-RMD) and ultra-pure water-cultured RMD (UPW-RMD) in rats fed on a high fat diet. Moreover, the effect of ions composition of DOW and DOW-influenced functional metabolites change of RMD on the differentiation and lipogenesis regulation were investigated using 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. In the animal test, compared to UPW-RMD, DOW-RMD possessed better ability to inhibit increases in weight gain, and better feed efficiency, body-fat pad and cross-sectional area of adipocytes. In the cell test, the anti-obesity abilities of DOW-RMD in inhibiting PPARγ and C/EBPα expression in differentiation and lipoprotein lipase activity in lipogenesis were contributed to by the DOW-increased monascin and ankaflavin levels and the ions of DOW, respectively.     

Identification of Zinc Deficiency-Responsive MicroRNAs in Brassica juncea Roots by Small RNA Sequencing

The importance of zinc （Zn） as a micronutrient essential for plant growth and development is becoming increasingly apparent. Much of the world’s soil is Zn-deficient, and soil-based Zn deficiency is often accompanied by Zn deficiency in human populations. MicroRNAs （miRNAs） play important roles in the regulation of plant gene expression at the level of translation. Many miRNAs involved in the modulation of heavy metal toxicity responses in plants have been identiifed;however, the role of miRNAs in the plant Zn deifciency response is almost completely unknown. Using high-throughput Solexa sequencing, we identiifed several miRNAs that respond to Zn deifciency in Brassica juncea roots. At least 21 conserved candidate miRNA families, and 101 individual members within those families, were identiifed in both the control and the Zn-deifcient B. juncea roots. Among this, 15 miRNAs from 9 miRNA families were differentially expressed in the control and Zn-deifcient plants. Of the 15 differentially expressed miRNAs, 13 were up-regulated in the Zn-deifcient B. juncea roots, and only two, miR399b and miR845a, were down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that these miRNAs were involved in modulating phytohormone response, plant growth and development, and abiotic stress responses in B. juncea roots. These data help to lay the foundation for further understanding of miRNA function in the regulation of the plant Zn deifciency response and its impact on plant growth and development.     

甬江口及附近海域冲淤变化研究分析

利用1935年、1962年、1979年、2004年这四个年份的海图资料,建立了甬江口及附近海域的数字高程模型（DEM）,进而定量计算了不同时段的海床平面冲淤变化、海岸演变和滩槽平面变化。结果表明,在1935-2004年间,甬江口及附近海域总体上以轻微淤积为主,年均淤积速率4.24 cm/a;岸线持续向海推进,潮滩呈淤涨态势,而深槽则趋于萎缩。但冲淤性质在不同时段有所不同,呈现出由冲转淤的调整趋势,这种趋势主要是人为因素作用的结果。     

深层洞穴型油藏改建地下储气库的可行性

为了研究深层洞穴型油藏改建地下储气库的可行性,以洞穴型油藏地质特征为基础,通过MATLAB编程计算注入压力,分析深层洞穴型油藏改建地下储气库的可行性,推导建立库容预测数学模型,并通过物理模拟实验验证库容预测数学模型的可靠性。研究结果表明：洞穴型油藏改建为储气库具有一定的可行性,但对地面注入压力条件要求较高,地面注入压力上限为45MPa,日注气量为10×10^4m^3时最优;物理模拟实验可较好地模拟洞穴型油藏注气采油过程,并可形成储气库;实验库容大小与数学模型计算结果误差较小,所建库容计算模型具有一定的可靠性。（图7,参6）     

薄荷油微胶囊的制备及其在卷烟中的应用

为了研究挥发性薄荷油微胶囊的制备方法及其在高端卷烟上的应用效果,利用溶剂脱水法、相分离-凝聚法将薄荷油制备为微胶囊香精,并添加于卷烟滤嘴中。溶剂脱水法和相分离-凝聚法所制得的微胶囊中薄荷油含量分别为11.96%、16.30%,将其应用于云烟系列卷烟制品中,具有增加烟香、改善舒适性和余味的作用。其中,云烟(小熊猫)、云烟(软珍)、云烟(印象红)的薄荷油微胶囊适宜添加量为10mg/支,云烟(印象棕)的薄荷油微胶囊适宜添加量为15mg/支。溶剂脱水法和相分离-凝聚法制备得到的薄荷油微胶囊按10mg/支分别添加于云烟(软珍)滤嘴中,烟气总粒相物中薄荷油的平均含量分别为0.502mg/支、0.567mg/支。     

柠檬皮中香精油溶剂浸提工艺优化

为了研究柠檬(Citrus limonum)皮中香精油提取的工艺条件,采用L16(45)正交试验考察了不同反应条件对柠檬皮中香精油出油率的影响.结果表明,当柠檬皮用量为15 g、石油醚用量为400 mL、提取时间为20 min、提取温度为60℃时,柠檬皮中香精油的出油率达到最高值,为1.92％,各因素对香精油出油率的影响为提取温度＞柠檬皮用量＞提取时间＞石油醚用量.     

深松及氮肥深施对超高产春玉米根系生长、产量及氮肥利用效率的影响

以内单314为材料,研究深松及氮肥深施对超高产春玉米生育后期根系生长、产量及氮肥利用效率的影响.结果表明,随着散粉后生育进程的推进,玉米单株根重、根系体积逐渐下降,且在同一生育期表现出随土层深度加深呈递减的趋势.0～ 60 cm土层单株根系表面积自散粉期开始呈先升后降的变化趋势,峰值出现在灌浆期.各处理根系活力随土层深度的增加总体上表现为先升高后下降的变化趋势,随着散粉后生育进程的推进,根系活力的峰值出现下移.深松30 cm根重、根系体积及根表面积明显增加,根系活力显著提高;深松30 cm及氮肥深施15 cm可促使根系下移,明显提高深层根系特别是20 ～ 40 cm根系活力及比重.     

基于分区有限元与块体界面元混合算法的重力坝深层抗滑稳定分析

考虑到重力坝沿岩基软弱结构面的深层滑动问题属于典型的局部位移非连续的接触问题,传统算法在求解此类问题上有较大的局限性,采用分区有限元与块体界面元混合算法对某重力坝进行深层抗滑稳定分析。鉴于该算法需预先知道可能的接触面,先采用弹塑性有限元强度折减法搜索出可能的深层滑动面,然后在滑面上生成接触点对。再采用分区有限元与块体界面元混合算法,整体折减滑动面的抗剪断强度参数,定义接触点对全部失效时重力坝失稳,求出抗滑稳定安全系数,并将结果与传统的弹塑性有限元强度折减法计算结果进行比较。结果表明该方法能较好模拟岩基不连续结构面的力学行为,计算效率高,有效避免了弹塑性有限元强度折减法在失稳判据上的人为性。     

纤维素的溶解研究进展

纤维素（Cellulose）作为可持续发展的可再生生物资源受到高度重视。但因其高聚合度和高结晶性而导致了难以溶解,难以加工。新的溶剂体系的开发,特别是近年来发展的新型离子液体溶剂,使纤维素的溶解问题得以缓解。笔者对比分析了用于纤维素溶解的各种溶剂体系的研究现状、溶解机理及其优缺点,并特别介绍了离子溶剂体系的特点及其溶解机理,以及作为新兴的环保型溶剂的潜在前景,旨在为纤维素的改性、修饰及开发更多功能纤维素新材料提供参考。