Methanotrophic symbionts provide carbon for photosynthesis in peat bogs

Wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric methane, the second most important greenhouse gas. Methane flux to the atmosphere depends strongly on the climate; however, by far the largest part of the methane formed in wetland ecosystems is recycled and does not reach the atmosphere. The biogeochemical controls on the efficient oxidation of methane are still poorly understood. Here we show that submerged Sphagnum mosses, the dominant plants in some of these habitats, consume methane through symbiosis with partly endophytic methanotrophic bacteria, leading to highly effective in situ methane recycling. Molecular probes revealed the presence of the bacteria in the hyaline cells of the plant and on stem leaves. Incubation with (13)C-methane showed rapid in situ oxidation by these bacteria to carbon dioxide, which was subsequently fixed by Sphagnum, as shown by incorporation of (13)C-methane into plant sterols. In this way, methane acts as a significant (10-15%) carbon source for Sphagnum. The symbiosis explains both the efficient recycling of methane and the high organic carbon burial in these wetland ecosystems.     

Advanced Credit-Assignment CMAC Algorithm for Robust Self-Learning and Self-Maintenance Machine

Smart machine necessitates self-learning capabilities to assess its own performance and predict its behavior. To achieve self-maintenance intelligence, robust and fast learning algorithms need to be embedded in machine for real-time decision. This paper presents a credit-assignment cerebellar model articulation controller (CA-CMAC) algorithm to reduce learning interference in machine learning. The developed algorithms on credit matrix and the credit correlation matrix are presented. The error of the training sample distributed to the activated memory cell is proportional to the cell‘s credibility, which is determined by its activated times. The convergence processes of CA-CMAC in cyclic learning are further analyzed with two convergence theorems. In addition, simulation results on the inverse kinematics of 2degree-of-freedom planar robot arm are used to prove the convergence theorems and show that CA-CMAC converges faster than conventional machine learning.     

聚丙烯酰胺活化过氧化氢氧化依莱铬菁R催化光度分析法测定痕量汞

在50℃、20min和pH=2.0的条件下,基于聚丙烯酰胺能活化汞(Ⅱ)催化过氧化氢氧化依莱铬菁R的显色反应,据此建立了聚丙烯酰胺活化过氧化氢氧化依莱铬菁R催化光度分析法测定痕量汞的新方法。汞(Ⅱ)的含量在:0.40~4.40μg/L范围内与△A值符合比尔定侓，其△A = 0.3494 + 0.03254CHg2+(礸/L),相关系数r=0.9994,检出限7.9?0-11g/mL 。该法已成功用于水样中汞(Ⅱ)的含量的测定。     

Linearly concatenated cyclobutane lipids form a dense bacterial membrane

Lipid membranes are essential to the functioning of cells, enabling the existence of concentration gradients of ions and metabolites. Microbial membrane lipids can contain three-, five-, six- and even seven-membered aliphatic rings, but four-membered aliphatic cyclobutane rings have never been observed. Here we report the discovery of cyclobutane rings in the dominant membrane lipids of two anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria. These lipids contain up to five linearly fused cyclobutane moieties with cis ring junctions. Such 'ladderane' molecules are unprecedented in nature but are known as promising building blocks in optoelectronics. The ladderane lipids occur in the membrane of the anammoxosome, the dedicated intracytoplasmic compartment where anammox catabolism takes place. They give rise to an exceptionally dense membrane, a tight barrier against diffusion. We propose that such a membrane is required to maintain concentration gradients during the exceptionally slow anammox metabolism and to protect the remainder of the cell from the toxic anammox intermediates. Our results further illustrate that microbial membrane lipid structures are far more diverse than previously recognized.     

A microbial consortium couples anaerobic methane oxidation to denitrification

Modern agriculture has accelerated biological methane and nitrogen cycling on a global scale. Freshwater sediments often receive increased downward fluxes of nitrate from agricultural runoff and upward fluxes of methane generated by anaerobic decomposition. In theory, prokaryotes should be capable of using nitrate to oxidize methane anaerobically, but such organisms have neither been observed in nature nor isolated in the laboratory. Microbial oxidation of methane is thus believed to proceed only with oxygen or sulphate. Here we show that the direct, anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to denitrification of nitrate is possible. A microbial consortium, enriched from anoxic sediments, oxidized methane to carbon dioxide coupled to denitrification in the complete absence of oxygen. This consortium consisted of two microorganisms, a bacterium representing a phylum without any cultured species and an archaeon distantly related to marine methanotrophic Archaea. The detection of relatives of these prokaryotes in different freshwater ecosystems worldwide indicates that the reaction presented here may make a substantial contribution to biological methane and nitrogen cycles.