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.     

Phyllosilicates on Mars and implications for early martian climate

The recent identification of large deposits of sulphates by remote sensing and in situ observations has been considered evidence of the past presence of liquid water on Mars. Here we report the unambiguous detection of diverse phyllosilicates, a family of aqueous alteration products, on the basis of observations by the OMEGA imaging spectrometer on board the Mars Express spacecraft. These minerals are mainly associated with Noachian outcrops, which is consistent with an early active hydrological system, sustaining the long-term contact of igneous minerals with liquid water. We infer that the two main families of hydrated alteration products detected-phyllosilicates and sulphates--result from different formation processes. These occurred during two distinct climatic episodes: an early Noachian Mars, resulting in the formation of hydrated silicates, followed by a more acidic environment, in which sulphates formed.     

Design principles of a bacterial signalling network

Cellular biochemical networks have to function in a noisy environment using imperfect components. In particular, networks involved in gene regulation or signal transduction allow only for small output tolerances, and the underlying network structures can be expected to have undergone evolution for inherent robustness against perturbations. Here we combine theoretical and experimental analyses to investigate an optimal design for the signalling network of bacterial chemotaxis, one of the most thoroughly studied signalling networks in biology. We experimentally determine the extent of intercellular variations in the expression levels of chemotaxis proteins and use computer simulations to quantify the robustness of several hypothetical chemotaxis pathway topologies to such gene expression noise. We demonstrate that among these topologies the experimentally established chemotaxis network of Escherichia coli has the smallest sufficiently robust network structure, allowing accurate chemotactic response for almost all individuals within a population. Our results suggest that this pathway has evolved to show an optimal chemotactic performance while minimizing the cost of resources associated with high levels of protein expression. Moreover, the underlying topological design principles compensating for intercellular variations seem to be highly conserved among bacterial chemosensory systems.     

Migration of the chick primordial germ cells from the intracoelomically transplanted germinal crescent into the genital ridge

Résumé Lorsque le croissant germinal est introduit in ovo dans la cavité coelomique de la région gonadique, les cellules germinales primordiales peuvent sortir du greffon et émigrer vers l'épithélium germinatif.     

The formation of two independent notochords in an explant taken from the dorsal blastoporal area of an early gastrula of amphibia

Zusammenfassung Stücke aus der dorsalen Randzone der frühen Gastrula vonHynobius nebulosus wurden in Holtfreterscher Lösung auf Kollodiummembranen gezüchtet. In dreieckigen Explantaten entstehen öfters zwei Chordastränge, während in viereckigen Explantaten stets nur ein Chordastrang gebildet wird. Diese Tatsachen weisen auf die Möglichkeit hin, dass Gestaltungsbewegungen des Explantates bei der Determination der Chordaanlage eine wichtige Rolle spielen.     

基于几何图像滤波的3D人脸识别算法

针对表情变化下的三维人脸识别问题,提出了一种基于几何图像滤波的特征提取方法,并根据样本图像滤波后的特征分布函数给出最优卷积滤波器的设计过程.首先,利用网格平面参数化方法,将人脸网格映射到边界为正四边形的平面区域内,经过线性插值采样得到具有三维形状的二维几何图像;然后,将整体几何图像切割成局部分块图像的集合,在每组局部分块图像构成的训练样本库中利用差分进化算法对滤波器进行优化设计;最后,利用训练得到的最优滤波器提取对应分块图像的局部特征并计算相似度,将相似度得分融合,即可得到最终识别结果.利用FRGC v2人脸数据库进行实验验证,结果表明,使用几何图像滤波能显著提高算法的精度和鲁棒性.     

A complete insect from the Late Devonian period

After terrestrialization, the diversification of arthropods and vertebrates is thought to have occurred in two distinct phases, the first between the Silurian and the Frasnian stages (Late Devonian period) (425-385?million years (Myr) ago), and the second characterized by the emergence of numerous new major taxa, during the Late Carboniferous period (after 345?Myr ago). These two diversification periods bracket the depauperate vertebrate Romer's gap (360-345?Myr ago) and arthropod gap (385-325?Myr ago), which could be due to preservational artefact. Although a recent molecular dating has given an age of 390?Myr for the Holometabola, the record of hexapods during the Early-Middle Devonian (411.5-391?Myr ago, Pragian to Givetian stages) is exceptionally sparse and based on fragmentary remains, which hinders the timing of this diversification. Indeed, although Devonian Archaeognatha are problematic, the Pragian of Scotland has given some Collembola and the incomplete insect Rhyniognatha, with its diagnostic dicondylic, metapterygotan mandibles. The oldest, definitively winged insects are from the Serpukhovian stage (latest Early Carboniferous period). Here we report the first complete Late Devonian insect, which was probably a terrestrial species. Its 'orthopteroid' mandibles are of an omnivorous type, clearly not modified for a solely carnivorous diet. This discovery narrows the 45-Myr gap in the fossil record of Hexapoda, and demonstrates further a first Devonian phase of diversification for the Hexapoda, as in vertebrates, and suggests that the Pterygota diversified before and during Romer's gap.     

浙江省工业设计产业发展的问题与对策研究

目的准确把握浙江省工业设计产业发展现状和存在问题,为推动浙江工业设计产业的快速发展提供建议。方法文献资料法、问卷调查法和数理统计法。结果根据对浙江省工业企业、工业设计企业等产业发展主体及产业发展环境的调查表明:产业内容界定模糊、设计人才匮乏、创新能力弱、产业集群效应不强等影响产业发展环境的调查,在一定程度上削弱了政策实施的有效性,制约了全省工业设计产业的快速发展。结论建议明确产业内容、建立统计指标体系、加强人才集聚、提升设计能力、加强产业对接、实现产业集群等。     

中厚板控制冷却系统中的实测温度处理方法

以中厚板轧后冷却过程控制系统的实测温度处理方法为研究对象,建立具有一定容错性的实测温度滤波处理方法,消除跟踪误差、测量误差等对模型计算精度的影响.在此基础上,利用最小二乘法对实测温度进行曲线拟合,控制模型以拟合结果作为衡量钢板纵向冷却均匀性判据,并进行相应的冷却规程设定和自学习计算.建立钢板纵向分样本控制的温度处理方法,利用线性插值计算获得钢板纵向各个样本的温度值,从而满足系统进行终冷温度和冷却速度高精度控制的需要.