Net ATP synthesis by running the red cell calcium pump backwards.

Ca2+ loaded inside-out vesicles from human red blood cells, yielding C2+ into a Ca2+ free medium with 4 mM EGTA, 2 mM ADP and 10 mM phosphate, produced an excess of 14.9 pmoles . min-1 . (mg protein)-1 of ATP compared to controls in which the transmembrane Ca2+ gradient was abolished by the ionophore A 23 187.     

Implementing total quality management through total systems intervention: A creative approach to problem solving in diagnostic biotechnology (Pte) Ltd.

This paper documents the implementation of Total Quality Management employing a creative approach to problem solving called Total Systems Intervention.     

Metal accumulation inAgaricus bisporus: Influence of Cd and Cu on growth and tyrosinase activity

Summary To investigate heavy metal uptake in the common mushroomAgaricus bisporus, commercial cultures of the fungus were exposed to different amounts of copper ad cadmium. In contrast to copper, cadmium already exerted pronounced toxic effects at low concentrations (>10 M) in the compost and concomitantly enhanced the uptake of copper. Tyrosinase activity measured in the fruit bodies increased sharply, when small amounts of Cd (10 M) were added to copper-rich compost. Gel filtration experiments with crude extracts from fruit bodies demonstrated the absence of a low molecular weight metal binding protein.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by the Schweizerischer Nationalfonds grant 3.420–0.78 (to K.L.) and by Hauser Champignonkulturen AG. We are indepted to Dr D. Rast for helpful discussions.     

Contamination trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals in sediments from Dagu Drainage River estuary, Tianjin

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs）, organochlorine pesticides （OCPs） and heavy metals in two sediment cores, taken from the Dagu Drainage River, were determined. The contamination trends of these three kinds of compounds were obtained. The results showed that concentrations of PBDEs increased in recent years; there were new contamination sources for OCPs in this area; contamination levels of heavy metals had no significant change in the last several years. Comparing the results of these two cores, erosion and dilution of seawater had different effects on the transportation of these compounds.     

The liquid phase separation of Bi-Ga hypermonotectic alloy under acoustic levitation condition

Containerless treatment of Bi-58.5at%Ga hypermonotecUc alloy is successfully performed with acoustic levitation technique. Under acoustic levitation condition, the second phase （Ga） distributes almost homogeneously in solidification sample, opposite to macrosegregation in solidification sample under conventional condition. Stokes motion of the second liquid droplet （Ga） is significantly restrained under acoustic levitation condition. The analyses indicate that the melt vibration in the gravity direction forced by acoustic field can induce steady flow around the second liquid droplet, which influences droplet shape during its moving upward and consequently restrains Stokes motion velocity of the second liquid droplet.     

Low-field positive and high-field negative magnetoresistances in multiphase Fe-oxide thin films at room temperature

Multiphase Fe-oxide thin films are fabricated on glass substrates by a facing-target sputtering tech- nique. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that Fe, Fe3BO4, γ -Fe2BO3B and FeO coexist in the films. High resolution transmission electron microscopy shows the well-defined colum- nar grain structure with the unoxidized Fe as the core and iron-oxide as the shell. The low-field positive and high-field negative magnetoresistances coexist in such a system at room temperature, which can be explained by considering a shell/core model. Nonlinear current-voltage curve and photovoltaic effect further confirm the tunneling-type conduction.     

The early Holocene optimum inferred from a hish-resolution pollen record of Husuansyan Maar Lake in southern China

A high-resolution pollen record of the past 13000 a from Huguangyan Maar Lake reveals the vegetation and environment changes in southern China during the Holocene. It shows that （i） pollen percentage of trees and shrubs reached 56% during the early Holocene （11600-7800 cal a BP）, of which the pollen percentage of tropical trees reached a maximum at 9500-8000 cal a BP, reflecting a hot and wet environment; （ii） during the mid-Holocene （7800-4200 cal a BP）, the pollen percentage of montane coniferous trees and herbs increased, while the percentage of tropical-subtropical trees decreased, indicating lower temperature and humidity; （iii） in the late Holocene spanning from 4200 to 350 cal a BP, the pollen percentage of herbs and montane conifer increased significantly, indicating a marked decrease of temperature and humidity. Our pollen data reveal that the time period 9500-8000 cal a BP in southern China represents a climatic optimum for the Holocene characterized by hot and wet conditions. This is consistent with the Holocene optimum found in lower latitude regions globally. We speculate that strong insolation might cause the northward migration of the ITCZ and subtropical summer monsoon front, which resulted in an early Holocene optimum in the Huguangyan area. The dry tendency and climate fluctuations of the middle and late Holocene could be associated with a decrease in solar insolation and frequent ENSO event.     

The surface pollen and relative pollen production of the desert vegetation of the Alashan Plateau, western Inner Mongolia

This preliminary investigation focuses on the comparison of the recent pollen precipitation and its related vegetation of eight different plant communities in the Alashan Region, the most western part of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Most zonal and azonal communities can be well identified by their pollen spectra. Relative pollen production factors of various plant taxa have been calculated and the following sequences from over-to under represented taxa have been found for zonal vegetation: Chenopodiaceae,Artemisia, Ephedra, Nitraria, Reaumuria, Calligonum, Zygo-phyllum; and for azonal vegetation: Peganum, Populus,Tamarix, Lycium.     

不同盐渍条件下海滨锦葵光合-光响应模型

采用CIRAS-3便携式光合作用测定仪测定了不同盐渍条件下海滨锦葵在不同光强下的净光合速率。通过非直角双曲线模型、直角双曲线模型、指数模型和直角双曲线修正模型对光合参数和拟合曲线进行比较,探讨盐胁迫下海滨锦葵的光响应过程。结果表明,随着盐浓度的升高,海滨锦葵的净光合速率表现出先增高后降低的趋势。另外,从相对误差和决定系数来看,除了指数模型,其他3个模型在不同盐胁迫的海滨锦葵中均适用;发现随着盐浓度的升高,表观量子效率明显降低。对照条件下直角双曲线模型的拟合度最高,100 mmol·L^-1和300 mmol·L^-1 NaCl处理条件下直角双曲线修正模型为海滨锦葵的最适模型,200 mmol·L^-1 NaCl处理条件下非直角双曲线模型的拟合度最高。     

拉长电弧的等离子喷枪设计与弧压测试

针对在普通等离子喷涂的生产中,喷涂的涂层可靠性和重复性差等缺点,设计了拉长电弧的等离子喷枪．该喷枪能够提高电弧电压并减小电弧电压波动．提出了一种拉长电弧的实用喷枪结构,成功地解决了统一水冷的两喷嘴间的绝缘密封及连接问题．对喷枪测试的结果表明,喷枪的电弧电压波动幅值小．对电弧电压波形的傅里叶变换表明,电源引起的波动是这种喷枪电弧电压波动的主要因素,而喷枪电弧阳极斑点游动引起的波动很小．