N-acyl homoserine lactone production by bacteria within the sponge Suberites domuncula (Olivi, 1792) (Porifera, Demospongiae)

Many bacteria live in close association with sponges. Within these consortia, molecules of communication such as quorum-sensing and hormone-like molecules may occur in order to regulate the partnership. Of particular interest, bacterial N-acyl-l-homoserine lactones (AHLs) were screened in supernatants from Suberites domuncula-associated bacteria using an E. coli bioluminescent reporter system. These sponge-associated bacteria were beforehand isolated on several media supplemented or not with a sponge extract to attempt to isolate sponge-specific bacteria. Out of 81 AHL-producing bacteria, three strains requiring sponge extract to grow were selected for AHL characterization. The in vitro produced AHLs, that is, in bacterial culture supernatants, were identified as N-(3-butanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone and N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone and quantified using LC–ESI–MS/MS. The in vivo production of AHLs by sponge-associated bacteria has also been demonstrated in a healthy host for the first time: N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, N-(3-hexanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone, and N-(3-heptanoyl)-l-homoserine lactone. This AHL production in sponges may suggest a potential role of these molecules between sponge-associated bacteria and/or between sponge-associated bacteria and the sponge.     

Numerical simulation study of dust concentration distribution regularity in cavern stope

Based on the theory of gas-solid two-phase flow and the characteristics of cavern stope a model of dust migration was established. The dust concentration changing of cavern stope by ventilation in 20 min after blasting and the dust trajectory in different wind speed were simulated by Fluent Software. The results show that distribution of dust concentration is significantly affected by flow field of airway in cavern, and the dust concentration of inlet is higher than that of outlet and the highest one on the corner of inlet’s side. In the stope, the smaller the wind speed of inlet is, the shorter of dust can be captured, settled and discharged, the more obviously affected by the trajectory of gas flow field. It goes into the stage of clean cycle emissions after 60 s, the speed of dust concentration dropped is the biggest between 0 s and 70 s, the main dust in stope is respirable dust after 70 s, it needs much time to settlement.According to the measured data of metal mining, approximately 87% of dust was generated during the drilling and blasting in the mine (Wang, 1979). A lot of dust with high concentrations was produced during the cavern stope blasting and it was difficult to be discharged. It can help choose the right speed to rule out the dust quickly which produced during cavern blasting, if the dust concentration distribution and the dust migration law of different inlet velocity in the cavern can be verified, what’s more, the labor productivity can be increased. It has great significance for choosing reasonable ventilation parameters, reducing dust hazards of stope to researching the dust concentration distribution regularity in the stope.     

Molecular population genetics of male and female mitochondrial genomes in subarctic Mytilus trossulus

The doubly uniparental inheritance system allows for the use of two independent mitochondrial genomes for population history investigations. Under this system, two lineages of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exist and males are typically heteroplasmic, having the additional, usually divergent, mitochondrial genome inherited from their male parent. This additional mtDNA typically evolves faster, potentially allowing for insight into more recent events in population history. Few studies did explore this possibility in marine mussels Mytilus showing its usefulness. Recent observations of the Mytilus trossulus mussels who have retained their native mtDNA in European waters posed the question of their origin. Are they part of a population present, but previously undetected, or is this a potentially human mediated, ongoing spread of an invasive species? To tackle this question, we amplified with species-specific primers and sequenced an approximately 1,200-bp-long fragment spanning COIII and ND2 genes from both mitochondrial genomes of mussels sampled at five locations worldwide, covering the whole M. trossulus range. The overall pattern of polymorphisms is compatible with the entirely postglacial history of the whole species, indicating a very deep bottleneck at last glacial maximum, with possible retention of the whole species in a single refugium, and the effective population size of no more than a few thousands. Both analyses of molecular variance and isolation with migration (IM) models point at the West Atlantic as the source of the European M. trossulus mussels, at least the ones who retained their native mtDNA. The hypothesis that this is an ongoing, human-mediated process was considered. To this end, comparison with the well-known case: the introduction of congeneric mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, from Mediterranean Sea to Asia was used. This introduction occurred within the last 100 years. The results inferred by the IM model suggest that the timing and structure of transatlantic migration of M. trossulus differs significantly from the M. galloprovincialis case: it is more than 1,000 years old and involves a much larger fraction of the ancestral population. Therefore, most likely, this invasion is not a human-mediated process.     

基于可拓评价的农村饮用水工程运行管理模式研究

针对农村饮用水工程运行管理模式的多样化和复杂化,选择一种新型的动态可拓评价模型,以浙江省为例选择典型的3种运行管理模式,即村集体管理模式、承包管理模式和用水户协会管理模式进行比较评价,旨在通过评价找出它们的适应条件及优劣,以便在全省范围内推广应用。评价过程中创新性地将可拓评价模型和离差分析法相结合,建立了可拓评价的物元模型、过程元模型和事元模型,通过确定衡量条件、离差分析法确定权系数、建立关联函数与计算合格度、计算规范合格度、计算优度等一系列步骤,选取了浙江省丽水市莲都区15个不同运行管理模式的农村饮用水工程进行评价,得出评价结果。评价结果与实际基本一致,验证了模型和方法的可行性,这为下一步模型的推广应用及信息化提供了基础,同时也为决策部门开展农村饮用水工程运行管理的模式应用提供了技术支撑。     

重金属超富集植物研究进展

利用重金属超富集植物的吸收,积累环境中的污染物,是近年来发展起来的一种可清除土壤重金属污粢的植物修复技术。本文主要综述砷、镉、镍等几种具有代表性的重金属超富集植物,探讨了超富集植物的富集机理和特征,重点讨论了近年来重金属超富集植物的发展现状和今后的发展趋势。     

Development of a PCR protocol for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in surface water

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella are pathogenic microorganisms that can cause severe gastrointestinal illness in humans. These pathogens may be transmitted in a variety of ways, including food and water. The presence of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 in surface waters constitutes a potential threat to human health when used for either drinking or recreation. As with most waterborne pathogens, Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 are difficult to detect and enumerate with accuracy in surface waters due to methodological limitations. The aim of this study was to develop a protocol for the detection of Salmonella spp., E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli virulence genes (stx ₁, stx ₂ and eae) in water using a single enrichment step and PCR. In spiked water samples, PCR results showed high sensitivity (<3 CFU/L) for both microorganisms. The protocol developed in this study has been applied in different surface waters in association with microbiological and physical analysis. The frequency of PCR positive samples was 33% for Salmonella and 2% for E. coli O157:H7 producing intimin (eae) and Shiga-like toxin I (stx ₁). Moreover, the finding of amplicons corresponding to eae and stx ₁ genes in the absence of E. coli O157:H7 suggested the possible presence of other pathogenic bacteria that carry these genes (e.g. EHEC, Shigella strains). The results obtained showed that the developed protocol could be applied as a routine analysis of surface water for the evaluation of microbiological risks.