Persistence of Eclosion Rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster After 600 Generations in an Aperiodic Environment

 The ubiquity of circadian rhythms suggests that they have an intrinsic adaptive value (Ouyang et al. 1998; Ronneberg and Foster 1997). Some experiments have shown that organisms have enhanced longevity, development time or growth rates when maintained in environments whose periodicity closely matches their endogenous period (Aschoff et al. 1971; Highkin and Hanson 1954; Hillman 1956; Pittendrigh and Minis 1972; Went 1960). So far there has been no experimental evidence to show that circadian rhythms per se (i.e. periodicity itself, as opposed to phasing properties of a rhythm) confer a fitness advantage. We show that the circadian eclosion rhythm persists in a population of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster maintained in constant conditions of light, temperature, and humidity for over 600 generations. The results suggest that even in the absence of any environmental cycle there exists some intrinsic fitness value of circadian rhythms. Received: 2 November 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 22 April 1999     

Locomotor activity rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster after 600 generations in an aperiodic environment

The locomotor activity rhythm of flies from four populations of Drosophila melanogaster, maintained under constant light for more than 600 generations, was recorded in continuous light (LL) and continuous darkness (DD) using four different protocols. The main objective behind these experiments was to estimate the proportion of flies exhibiting circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in LL, and to investigate whether this could be increased by subjecting the flies to various light regimes. About 26% of the flies exhibited a circadian rhythm of locomotor activity in LL, and the proportion increased to about 48% after an exposure to 12 h of darkness. About 77% of the flies exhibited a circadian locomotor activity rhythm in DD. Persistence of circadian locomotor activity rhythm in a considerable proportion of these flies suggests an intrinsic adaptive value to possessing circadian rhythmicity, derived, perhaps, from the need to synchronise various processes within the organism.     

道路灰尘铂族元素含量的短期变化过程分析

选择上海市区中山北路(华东师大～武夷路)、长宁路(中山西路～安西路)、杨柳青路(金沙江路～武宁路)等3条道路,对道路灰尘铂族元素(PGEs)含量的短期变化过程进行研究.结果表明,Rh的含量为24.95～36.24ng·g-1(平均值为29.42ng·g-1),Pd的含量为85.34～158.89ng·g-1(平均值为117.88ng·g-1),Pt含量为20.15～48.48ng·g-1(平均值为34.42ng·g-1).其中,道路灰尘Rh、Pd、Pt含量分别是参照点的19.48倍、12.17倍和64.94倍.与国际其他城市相比,Pt含量较低,Pd和Rh含量处于中间水平.总体而言,道路灰尘PGEs含量及负荷随时间变化呈上升趋势,到达上限后,变化则趋于和缓.在车流量恒定的情况下,PGEs浓度及负荷的短期变化主要归因于气象条件的变化.降雨会使PGEs浓度降低,但不同类型降雨会使PGEs负荷发生不同变化,雨量较大,则负荷降低;;雨量较小,负荷反而有升高可能;;连续降雨后,PGEs浓度与负荷达到下限.一定的风力扰动会使PGEs浓度升高,但使PGEs的负荷变化变得较为复杂;;连续干燥无风天气会使上述PGEs浓度及负荷达...     

北京道路交通环境亚微米颗粒物元素组成特征及来源分析

于2011年12月和2012年8月对北京北四环道路交通环境中亚微米颗粒物(PM1)进行了采样,并对PM1的质量浓度、元素组成及主要来源进行了分析.夏季非灰霾时段PM1日平均浓度为(52.5±29.9)μg·m-3,灰霾时段PM1浓度增加到(154.2±36.3)μg·m-3;冬季非灰霾时段PM1日均浓度为(59.6±32.5)μg·m-3.采用X射线荧光光谱法(XRF)对颗粒物中元素进行分析,共得到Na、Mg、Al、Si、P、S、Cl、K、Ca、Ti、V、Cr、Mn、Fe、Ni、Cu、Zn、As、Cd、Ba和Pb等21种元素的质量浓度.其中S、Cl、K、Na、Si、Zn、Fe和Ca等8种元素含量较高,占测试元素质量浓度90%以上.污染元素浓度呈现显著的季节差异,夏季S元素浓度较高,冬季As、Cl、K、Pb、Mn、V、Cd和P等元素浓度较高.应用富集因子法发现,PM1相对PM2.5能够更好地反映人为源的元素污染特征.应用因子分析法分析出PM1的3个元素浓度贡献主成分因子:因子1反映燃煤、交通源排放和生物质燃烧,因子2反映道路及建筑扬尘贡献,因子3反映机动车排放和工业排放.因子1和因子3之和的夏季和冬季贡献比例分别高达46.8%和68.3%,表明来自机动车、燃煤、生物质燃烧等重要人为源对道路交通环境PM1浓度的贡献显著高于其他来源.灰霾期间S、As、Pb等污染元素浓度明显高于非灰霾期间,地壳元素在灰霾期间无明显浓度变化.     

Identification of duchenne muscular dystrophy genomic probe P20 constant Taq1 fragment corresponding to the EcoRV and Msp1 polymorphisms

The majority of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy cases are caused by deletions observable in Southern blots with cDNA probes for the gene. When the deletion includes polymorphic probes, they may be used to determine carrier status by deletion segregation analysis: non-inheritance of parental alleles, or heterozygosity. The polymorphic genomic probe P20 is deleted in a large percentage of probands. P20 hybridizes with two constant fragments of 6.7 and 0.8 kb in Taql digests. In a number of probands, only the larger P20 Taq1 fragment is deleted. This study demonstrates that this fragment corresponds with the polymorphic EcoRV and Mspl fragments of P20. Families in which the upper Taql fragment is deleted may be screened for carrier status using non-inheritance of parental alleles or heterozygosity of P20 in EcoRV or Mspl digests.     

Environmental changes in Jiaozhou Bay of northern China during the past 90 years using metals and biogenic elements in sediments

Metals and biogenic elements were analyzed from surface sediments and a 100 cm core collected from Jiaozhou Bay in July 2009, to determine how the environment has changed over the past 90 years due to increasing anthropogenic influences in this region. High concentrations of biogenic silica (BSi) represented the dominance of diatoms in the bay. Most metals were lower than the marine sediment quality guidelines; however, Hg, Zn, and Mn were at polluted levels. The vertical profiles of biogenic elements and metals in the sediment core suggest that the most significant environmental changes occurred since the 1990s, and three stages could be defined: (1) before 1950, characterized by low concentrations of biogenic elements and metals; (2) between 1950 and 1990, displaying an obvious increase of Hg and a slow increase of biogenic elements; (3) after 1990, reflected by a significant increase of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphate (TP), and most metals, but a decrease of BSi. Correlation and principal component analyses indicated that most metals originated from lithogenic sources, industrial and domestic discharges as well as maricultural activities.     

大水量下快速提取悬浮物的方法研究

针对大量水体中悬浮物的提取,提出了一泵三瓶滤网覆盖抽滤法,该方法是在传统滤膜抽滤法的基础上,在滤膜的下面,增设了一张尼龙滤网,滤网的大小刚好覆盖布氏漏斗的抽滤小孔,并采用一台真空泵带动三个抽滤瓶。实践证明,一泵三瓶滤网覆盖抽滤法的抽滤速度是传统抽滤方法的7倍多,并且能够减少在抽滤过程中由于抽滤时间过长而导致的悬浮物的质量损失。因此,该方法能够大大提高抽滤的效率,缩短抽滤的时间,加快实验的进程,对大范围内的水体监测工作具有重要的现实意义。     

案例推理技术在环境群体性事件应急决策中的应用研究

将案例推理技术引入到环境群体性事件的应急决策中,在分析了环境群体性事件案例特征的基础上,设计了基于概念树—本体模型—事件元模型三层架构的环境群体性事件案例的通用描述与存储模式;在检索算法上,为了克服传统最近相邻算法中属性值缺失的问题,提出了结构相似度的概念,并根据这一概念提出全局相似度算法;最后开发了基于案例推理技术的环境群体性事件应急辅助决策模型的原型系统,并通过实例验证了该模型的实用性。     

煤中微量有害元素的挥发性

利用3 种热解反应装置(密闭模拟下落床、流动气氛模拟下落床和固定床)研究了 6种煤中 As、Pb、Cr、Cd 和 Mn等微量有害元素的挥发性随温度(300～1000℃)的变化规律,同时考察了热解装置的影响.结果表明,这 5 种元素的挥发性均随热解温度的升高而升高;6 种煤中 As、Pb、Cd均表现出与Cr 和 Mn相比具有较强的挥发性,但它们的挥发温度不同,其中 As 的挥发主要发生在 300～700℃,Cd 主要在 500℃以上挥发,Pb 主要在 800℃以上挥发.热解过程中,微量元素在半焦孔道内扩散时产生的反应是影响元素析出的重要因素之一.     

柄海鞘中矿物元素含量分析

采用微波消解—火焰原子吸收分光光度法对烟台海域柄海鞘中Mg,Fe,Ca,Mn,Zn,Co,Cu,Ni,Pb,Cr,Cd共11种矿物元素的含量进行了测定。方法的相对标准偏差为0.07%～2.85%,回收率95%～103%。柄海鞘的外背囊和内囊中含有人体必需的矿物元素Cu,Zn,Fe,Mn,Co,Ni,Cr,Ca,Mg和少量的有害元素Cd和Pb,它们的含量顺序依次为:Mg>Mn>Fe>Ni>Ca>Zn>Cu>Cr>Pb>Co>Cd。大规格的海鞘中的各种矿物元素含量均高于中、小规格的海鞘。各种元素在外被囊中的含量要高于内囊。     

太湖梅梁湾沉积物中磷吸附/解吸平衡特征的季节性变化

室内模拟研究了太湖梅梁湾4个季节沉积物在低磷湖水中的吸附/解吸特征,推测沉积物在各季节的"源"、"汇"转化过程,找出沉积物"源"、"汇"转化过程中最活跃的磷形态;同时通过对冬季沉积物进行不同温度的吸附/解吸热力学实验,探讨了温度对沉积物吸附/解吸磷过程的影响.研究结果表明:梅梁湾4个季节沉积物总磷及各组分磷含量大小关系为春＜夏＜冬＜秋;夏季和秋季沉积物以释放为主,春季和冬季则以吸附为主;铁/铝磷是沉积物"源"、"汇"转化过程中较活跃的磷组分;沉积物对磷的吸附效率和平衡吸附量为春季最小,秋季最大;温度和沉积物磷含量对DIP吸附/解吸平衡浓度都有影响,吸附/解吸平衡浓度随温度的升高而增加,随沉积物磷含量的增加而减小.