Molecular phylogeny of cycads inferred from rbcL sequences

The chloroplast gene rbcL was sequenced to elucidate the evolution of the gymnosperm plant order Cycadales. In accordance with traditional systematics, the order Cycadales and the corresponding genera cluster as monophyletic clades. Among them, the genus Cycas forms a basal group. The genetic distances within the genus Encephalartos and between the sister groups Encephalartos, Lepidozamia and Macrozamia, are unexpectedly small, suggesting that the extant species are the result of Miocene and Pliocene speciation. Their distribution in Africa or Australia, respectively, may therefore rather be due to long-distance dispersal than to Cretaceous continental drift, as had previously been assumed. The rbcL sequences also indicate that the colonisation of Madagascar by Cycas thouarsii occurred only recently as the sequences of C. thouarsii and Cycas rumphii from Indonesia are identical. In contrast, the divergence of the Cycadaceae and Zamiaceae apparently occurred in the Mesozoic.     

Assessing the inter-annual variability of separation distances around odour sources to protect the residents from odour annoyance

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about potential impacts on public health and wellbeing due to exposure to environmental odour. Separation distances between odour-emitting sources and residential areas can be calculated using dispersion models, as a means of protecting the neighbourhood from odour annoyance. This study investigates the suitability of using one single year of meteorological input data to calculate reliable direction-dependent separation distances. Accordingly, we assessed and quantified the inter-annual variability of separation distances at two sites with different meteorological conditions, one in Brazil and the other in Austria. A 5-year dataset of hourly meteorological observations was used for each site. Two odour impact criteria set in current regulations were selected to explore their effect on the separation distances. The coefficient of variation was used as a statistical measure to characterise the amount of annual variation. Overall,for all scenarios, the separation distances had a low degree of inter-annual variability(mean coefficient of variation values from 8% to 21%). Reasonable agreements from year to year were therefore observed at the two sites under investigation, showing that one year of meteorological data is a good compromise to achieve reliable accuracy. This finding can provide a more cost-effective solution to calculate separation distances in the vicinity of odour sources.     

伊犁尼勒克黄土石英颗粒微形态特征及其成因与物源意义

石英颗粒表面微形态分析是判断沉积物成因和来源的重要方法之一。对伊犁盆地尼勒克黄土石英颗粒表面微形态特征进行了研究,并将其与冰川、河流、沙漠样品进行比较,结果表明尼勒克黄土石英颗粒磨圆较差,冰川和水流作用的微形态特征明显,系近源风力搬运沉积。通过对比分析讨论了石英粉砂的可能产生机制,认为流水和寒冻风化作用为伊犁黄土的形成提供了重要动力来源。尼勒克黄土的物质来源和匈牙利黄土类似,而与黄土高原黄土有较大差别,这主要表现在经受风力搬运-沉积的次数上或者风力搬运的距离上。该研究为解译伊犁地区黄土的古气候环境意义提供了重要基础。     

Characterization of the airborne bacteria community at different distances from the rotating brushes in a wastewater treatment plant by 16S rRNA gene clone libraries

Biological risks of bioaerosols emitted from wastewater treatment processes have attracted wide attention in the recent years. However, the culture-based analysis method has been mostly adopted for detecting the bacterial community in bioaerosols, which may result in the underestimation of total microorganism concentration as not all microorganisms are cultivable. In this study, oligonucleotide fingerprinting of 16S rRNA genes was applied to reveal the composition and structure of the bacterial community in bioaerosols from an Orbal oxidation ditch in a Beijing wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Bioaerosols were collected at different distances from the aerosol source, rotating brushes, and the sampling height was 1.5 m which is the common respiratory height of a human being. The bacterial communities of bioaerosols were diverse, and the lowest bacterial diversity was found at the sampling site just after the rotating brush rotating brush. A large proportion of bacteria in bioaerosols were affiliated with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Numerous bacteria present in the bioaerosols also emerged in water, indicating that the bacterial community in the bioaerosols was related to that of the aerosols’ sources. The forced aeration of rotating brushes brought about observably distinct bacterial communities between sampling sites situated before and after the rotating brush. Isolation sources of closest relatives in bioaerosols clone libraries were associated with the aqueous environment in the WWTP. Common potential pathogens in bioaerosols as well as those not reported in previous research were also analyzed in this study. Measures should be adopted to reduce the emission of bioaerosols and prevent their exposure to workers.     

中国东南沿海四株亚历山大藻的系统发育研究

通过核糖体基因大亚基(LSU rDNA)D1-D2区以及ITS序列分析,研究了采自于中国东南沿海的4株亚历山大藻(Alexandrium Halim)的系统发育.结果显示,本地的亚历山大藻与来自日本和韩国的藻株亲缘关系很近;而且通过构建系统发育树,发现本地亚历山大藻与东亚藻株聚成一个大族.与东亚藻株在rDNA序列上的高相似性也说明本地株亚历山大藻属于温带亚洲基因型,而从欧美传入的机会较小.结果同时显示,塔玛亚历山大藻(A. tamarense)与链状亚历山大藻(A. catenella)LUS和ITS序列相近,可能在遗传学上是同一种类.     

Effects of Asian dust events on atmospheric bacterial communities at different distances downwind of the source region

Aeolian dust particles arising from arid and semiarid zones are known to carry microbes by air currents. The effect of wind-borne bacteria on atmospheric bacterial population at various downwind distances from the dust source regions must be clarified, but has not yet been reported. This study monitored the bacterial abundance and community composition in outdoor aerosol samples in Beijing, China, which is close to the Asian dust source regions, and compared them with the results obtained in a distant region(Osaka, Japan).The Asian dust collected in Beijing contained(4 ± 3) × 10~4 bacterial cells/m~3, approximately~4 times higher than in Osaka. On 15 April 2015, Beijing experienced severe Asian dust events with a 1000-fold increase in bacterial abundance, relative to non-Asian dust days. Dominant bacterial phyla and classes in Asian dust collected in Beijing were Actinobacteria, Bacilli and Acidobacteria, and the bacterial community composition varied more widely than in Osaka.The bacterial community compositions differed between the Beijing and Osaka dusts, even for the same Asian dust events. These results indicated that aerosol bacterial communities nearer the dust source are more affected by eolian dust than their distant counterparts.     

Spatial distribution of phosphorus forms in sediments with different distances to the estuary of the Dianchi Lake, China

Effects of human activity on the distribution of phosphorus (P) forms were investigated for the sediments and porewaters in Daqinghe Estuary of Dianchi Lake, China. The concentrations of total P (TP), inorganic-P (I-P),and organic-P (Org-P), and the ratio of iron-bound P (Fe-P)/calcium-bound P (Ca-P) in the sediments decreased with the increasing distance from the sampling site to the estuary. This is probably due to the flocculant materials, e.g., ferric and aluminous salts, usually being added in the wastewater treatment processes. The concentration of ammonia in the sediment porewaters significantly decreased with the increasing distance from the sampling site to the estuary. Both concentrations of total nitrogen and nitrogen in the sediment porewaters decreased to some content with the increasing distance from the sampling site to the estuary. However, the concentrations of nitrate, dissolved total P (DTP), and TP did not have strong relationship with the distances from the sampling sites to the estuary. Pollution load and water quantity also had an important influence on the concentrations of P in sediments and its interstitial water in estuary sedimentary area.     

基于g23基因的武汉东湖T4类浮游病毒遗传多样性

选取武汉东湖的2个子湖——郭郑湖和庙湖,分别在冬季和夏季采样,对T4类浮游病毒的g23基因进行PCR扩增,经连接转化后,随机挑选克隆子进行测序.结果表明,共得到46条有效序列,根据系统发育分析发现其明显分为6个组,显示出较高的多样性且具有明显的时空差异,说明富营养化水平的差异和季节变化将对浮游病毒的种群结构产生影响.仅部分g23序列与海洋T4类浮游病毒同源性较高,另一部分序列则可能代表了淡水富营养化水体中特有的浮游病毒类群.人为干扰会明显影响某些淡水水体中T4类浮游病毒的遗传多样性.     

Genetic determination of antibody specificity

The best system for the study of cell differentiation is a cell which in its differentiated state differs only by one product. This is the case in the immune system. The undifferentiated, but omnipotent stem cell differentiates into a committed B cell which produces only one type of specific antibody out of a million different, genetically fixed possibilities. Gene translocation and fusion is the basis of this differentiation process.     

Genetic amniocentesis in multiple gestations

Thirty-one genetic amniocenteses involving multiple gestations were performed in the genetics unit between 1976 and 1982. Three sets of triplets were included. Precise locations of the sacs were determined using real-time ultrasonography and successful sampling of all sacs was accomplished. Spontaneous abortions occurred in two normal twins and one normal triplet gestation. Two therapeutic abortions were performed for fetal abnormalities. Two cases of discordance for trisomy 21 (one twin and one triplet) were allowed to continue; the twin case terminated at 25 weeks' gestation with neonatal deaths and the triplets are alive and well.