Prenatal diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidy—What do we tell the prospective parents?

Sex chromosome aneuploidy (SCA) can be detected on prenatal diagnostic testing and cell free DNA screening (cfDNA). High risk cfDNA results should be confirmed with diagnostic testing. This summary article serves as an update for prenatal providers and assimilates data from neurodevelopmental, epidemiologic, and registry studies on the most common SCA. This information can be helpful for counseling after prenatal diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidy. Incidence estimates may be influenced by ascertainment bias and this article is not a substitute for interdisciplinary consultation and counseling.     

An individual and a sex odor signature in kittiwakes? Study of the semiochemical composition of preen secretion and preen down feathers

The importance of olfaction in birds’ social behavior has long been denied. Avian chemical signaling has thus been relatively unexplored. The black-legged kittiwake provides a particularly appropriate model for investigating this topic. Kittiwakes preferentially mate with genetically dissimilar individuals, but the cues used to assess genetic characteristics remain unknown. As in other vertebrates, their body odors may carry individual and sexual signatures thus potentially reliably signaling individual genetic makeup. Here, we test whether body odors in preen gland secretion and preen down feathers in kittiwakes may provide a sex and an individual signature. Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, we found that male and female odors differ quantitatively, suggesting that scent may be one of the multiple cues used by birds to discriminate between sexes. We further detected an individual signature in the volatile and nonvolatile fractions of preen secretion and preen down feathers. These results suggest that kittiwake body odor may function as a signal associated with mate recognition. It further suggests that preen odor might broadcast the genetic makeup of individuals, and could be used in mate choice to assess the genetic compatibility of potential mates.     

1-Tridecene—male-produced sex pheromone of the tenebrionid beetle <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parastizopus transgariepinus</Emphasis>

Males of the genus Parastizopus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) exhibit a special pheromone-emitting behaviour. They do a headstand, expose the aedeagus and remain in this posture for a few seconds. The pheromone emitted by P. transgariepinus was collected by solid-phase micro-extraction (100 microm polydimethylsiloxane fibre) and identified as 1-tridecene by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Presumably, this compound originates from the aedeagal gland, a special feature in Parastizopus, as 1-tridecene is the main compound in the gland reservoirs (23.6+/-3.8%), accompanied by various less volatile fatty acid esters (25.2+/-2.0%) and hydrocarbons (51.2+/-5.7%). 1-Tridecene is also part of the pygidial defensive secretion of both sexes, together with other 1-alkenes, monoterpene hydrocarbons and 1,4-benzoquinones, but as none of these other compounds was detected during calling, the pygidial gland could be ruled out as pheromone source. Extracts of the aedeagal gland reservoirs and the pygidial defensive secretion contained comparable amounts of 1-tridecene, 1.24+/-0.41 and 1.88+/-0.54 microg/male, respectively. Chemo-orientation experiments using a servosphere showed that 1 microg of 1-tridecene was attractive to females but not to males.     

Combined effect of tributyltin and benzo[a] pyrene on the levels of sex hormone and vitellogenin in female Sebastiscus marmoratus

Tributyltin（TBT）, an organometal used as an antifouling biocide, has been reported to induce masculinization of fish. Benzo [a]pyrene （BaP）, a widespread carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, has been reported that its microsomal metabolites can produce an estrogenic response when tested in vitro. This study was therefore designed to examine the potential in vivo influence of TBT, BaP and their mixture on sex hormone levels in serum of Sebastiscus marmoratus, which were given 2 separate intraperitoneally （ip） injections（a single injection every 7 d） of TBT（0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg）, BaP（0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg）, or both in combination（0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg）; control fish received olive oil vehicle only. Six days after the 2nd injection, serum samples were collected and analyzed for sex hormone levels and alkali labile protein phosphorus （ALPP）, which is related to the yolk precursor protein vitellogenin. The pollutants at all doses significantly reduced serum testosterone, estradiol and ALPP content after 2 injections compared with the corresponding controls. The reduction of the estradiol levels should be response for the decrease of the vitellogenin levels. The results in the present study suggested that aromatase seems not the major target acted by TBT and BaP in fish. This study demonstrated that TBT or BaP exposure both inhibit the reproductive potential in female Sebastiscus marmoratus. Combined effect of TBT and BaP on the serum testosterone, estradiol and ALPP was not antagonism from the anticipation.     

Clocks for sex: loss of circadian rhythms in ants after mating?

This paper describes experiments on the locomotor activity rhythm of queens of the ant species Camponotus compressus, which were performed to investigate the consequences of mating on circadian clocks. Locomotor activity rhythm of virgin and mated queens was monitored individually under constant conditions of the laboratory. The locomotor activity rhythm of virgin queens entrained to a 24 h (12:12 h) laboratory light/dark (LD) cycle and free-ran under constant dim red light (RR) with a free-running period () of approximately 24 h. The locomotor activity of the mated queens on the other hand was arrhythmic during the period when they were laying eggs, and robust rhythmicity appeared soon after the egg-laying phase was over. The of the locomotor activity rhythm of mated queens was significantly greater than that of virgin queens. These results are contrary to the commonly held belief that the role of circadian clocks in ant queens ceases after mating flights, thus suggesting that circadian clocks of ant queens are adaptively plastic and display activity patterns, perhaps depending on their physiological state and tasks in the colony.     

Sex allocation and secondary sex ratio in Cuban boa (Chilabothrus angulifer): mother’s body size affects the ratio between sons and daughters

The Science of Nature - By working together, social insects achieve tasks that are beyond the reach of single individuals. A striking example of collective behaviour is self-assembly, a process in...     

Asynopsis of the book Ecological Indicators for the Nation

ＴｈｅＵ .Ｓ .ＥｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌＰｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｏｎＡｇｅｎｃｙｒｅｑｕｅｓｔｅｄｔｈｅＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＲｅｓｅａｒｃｈＣｏｕｎｃｉｌ(ｗｈｉｃｈｉｓｔｈｅｏｐｅｒａｔｉｎｇａｒｍｏｆｔｈｅＵ .Ｓ .ＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＳｃｉｅｎｃｅｓａｎｄｔｈｅＵ .Ｓ .ＮａｔｉｏｎａｌＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏｆＥｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇ)ｔｏｃａｒｒｙｏｕｔａｃｒｉｔｉｃａｌｓｃｉｅｎｔｉｆｉｃｅｖａｌｕａｔｉｏｎｏｆｉｎｄｉｃａｔｏｒｓｔｏｍｏｎｉｔｏｒｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｃｈａｎｇｅｓｆｒｏｍｅｉｔ…     

Is the ‘Lost World’ really lost? Palaeoecological insights into the origin of the peculiar flora of the Guayana Highlands

The peculiar biogeography of the so-called Lost World, i.e. the summits of sandstone tableaux (tepuis) in the Neotropical Guyana region of Venezuela, has generated a debate regarding the factors that are thought to account for modern vegetation patterns in the region. Some argue that plant communities on these high-elevation summits reflect a long history of evolution in isolation, while others surmise that there has been substantial biotic interchange with the surrounding lowlands during glacial times. Until now, these apparently competing hypotheses have not been tested using palaeoecological methods. I used pollen analysis of Quaternary sediments and documented past vertical migrations of vegetation in response to climate changes, which supports the second hypothesis. Physiographical analysis, however, shows that about half the tableaux summits are too high for their flora to have reached the lowlands during the last glaciation, suggesting that a portion of the tableaux vegetation has always experienced some degree of biotic isolation. Thus, a component of the summit vegetation evolved in isolation, whereas other taxa experienced interchange, as reflected in endemism patterns among the tableaux summits. Biogeographical patterns on the summits are the result of complex evolutionary processes. The two hypotheses invoked to explain the vegetation patterns are not mutually exclusive, but instead complement one another.     

Have the results of the TOTAL-trials changed the attitude and practice of maternal-fetal medicine specialists?

Objective

To explore the views and practices of maternal-fetal medicine specialists on offering fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO) for left- and right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (LCDH, RCDH) in the post Tracheal Occlusion To Accelerate Lung growth (TOTAL)-trial era.

Method

Cross-sectional knowledge, attitude and practice survey was conducted among 105 attendees of the 19th World Congress of Fetal Medicine.

Results

On average, respondents were knowledgeable about CDH, involved in research, and provided antenatal treatment options. Four out of five (82%) agreed that neonatal survival in LCDH can be reliably predicted in the prenatal period. Few respondents considered the exact risks and benefits of FETO for severe LCDH as being unclear (16%), yet half were uncertain about this for moderate LCDH (57%) and severe RCDH (45%). Most respondents offer FETO for severe LCDH (97%) and RCDH (79%), but only 59% offer it for moderate LCDH. However, half of respondents (58%) stated that not offering FETO for moderate LCDH would be a psychological burden for parents.

Conclusion

Respondents consider the risk-benefit ratio of FETO for severe LCDH clear and consistently offer FETO, but not for moderate LDCH and severe RCDH. However, not offering the option of FETO to parents was considered a psychological burden.     

A new direction for the development of the paper industry

-In order to reduce the increasingly serious environmental impact caused by wastewater from the paper industry, the municipality of Jinan plans to adopt a specialized production technology. The new technology will centralize pulp production and decentralize paper production. It is predicted that the new technology will greatly reduce the environmental effects of the paper industry. Perhaps it is a new direction for the development of the paper industry in China.     

Development of the procedure for the stabilization of rainwater samples

ＤｅｖｅｌｏｐｍｅｎｔｏｆｔｈｅｐｒｏｃｅｄｕｒｅｆｏｒｔｈｅｓｔａｂｉｌｉｚａｔｉｏｎｏｆｒａｉｎｗａｔｅｒｓａｍｐｌｅｓＹｕａｎＺｈｏｎｇｘｉｎ；Ｃｈｕｎｇ－ＳｈｉｎＹｕａｎ（ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＣｈｅｍｉｃａｌＥｎｇｉｎｅｅｒｉｎｇＮａｔｉ...     

Purification function of the natural wetland in the Liaohe Delta

１ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＳｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅ，ｆｕｎｃｔｉｏｎａｎｄｃｈａｎｇｅａｒｅｔｈｒｅｅｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔａｓｐｅｃｔｓｏｆｌａｎｄｓｃａｐｅｅｃｏｌｏｇｙ（Ｆｏｒｍａｎ，１９８６）．Ｌａｎｄｓｃａｐｅｆｕｎｃｔｉｏｎｍｅａｎｓｔｈｅｉｎｔｅ...     

Can the Earth's magnetic field be simulated in the laboratory?

Today it is generally accepted that the Earth's magnetic field, as well as that of many other planets, is generated by buoyancy driven convection in the electrically conducting liquid cores of these rotating celestial bodies. The conversion of mechanical energy into electromagnetic energy is known as the dynamo effect. In contrast to technical dynamos, which utilize the rotational motion of a complex arrangement of wire coils and other materials of different electrical and magnetic properties, the geodynamo is based on a freely developing spiral flow in a practically homogeneous, electrically conducting liquid core domain, and is therefore termed a homogeneous dynamo. This report outlines some fundamental properties of the Earth's magnetic field. The structure of the spiral flow in the liquid interior of planets is explained with the help of some model experiments in rapidly rotating spherical shells, which were carried out by Busse and Carrigan (1974). Based on the main ideas of electromagnetism it is shown that spiral motion in well-conducting fluids, like liquid metals, can amplify seed magnetic fields to generate dynamo action. Starting from the conjectured flow structure in the Earth's interior, a conceptional and engineering design is described for a laboratory dynamo experiment. Some details of the construction of the test facility and first experimental results are presented and discussed.     

On the study of ecosystem health:state of the art

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＤｕｒｉｎｇｌａｓｔｄｅｃａｄｅｓ,ｔｈｅｔｅｒｍ“ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｈｅａｌｔｈ”ｉｓｕｓｅｄｗｉｔｈｉｎｃｒｅａｓｉｎｇｆｒｅｑｕｅｎｃｙｉｎｔｈｅｌｉｔｅｒａｔｕｒｅ.Ｔｈｅｇｒｏｗｉｎｇｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔｓｉｎｔｈｅｓｔｕ...     

Linking the Northeast states of the US mitigation program to the EU Emission Trading Scheme—Implications and costs

It is argued that there are at least five reasons for the Northeast states of the United States to implement a regional emission trading scheme for carbon dioxide despite the lack of federal policy regulations: goodwill, learning, political influence, risk management and competitiveness interests. Using an energy-economy model, the carbon price to bring the firms into compliance with a 10% reduction by 2020 is estimated to be 20-150 US$ per ton C. There have been discussions about linking the ongoing EU Emission Trading Schemes to the Northeast state initiative. The prime argument is that such a linkage would encourage a change of the federal US policy, which has traditionally followed action taken at the state level. Emissions trading with binding mitigation commitments could thus be demanded and accepted also on federal level. This paper demonstrates that the impact of linkage on permit prices depends on the reduction target in the European scheme: A low EU target results in a net flow of permits to the Northeast scheme, while a 40% EU reduction target results in a net flow of permits from the Northeast. Flow of permits from the Northeast state must be compensated for by the EU because the United States is not a party of the Kyoto Protocol. The EU must therefore buy permits in allowances recognized in the Kyoto regime in an amount equal to the net flow of permits from the Northeast states.

A method for calculating the total ozone amount in the clear skies

Ａｍｅｔｈｏｄｆｏｒｃａｌｃｕｌａｔｉｎｇｔｈｅｔｏｔａｌｏｚｏｎｅａｍｏｕｎｔｉｎｔｈｅｃｌｅａｒｓｋｉｅｓ￥ＢａｉＪｉａｎｈｕｉ；ＷａｎｇＧｅｎｇｃｈｅｎ（ＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃＰｈｙｓｉｃｓ，ＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＡｃａｄｅｍｙｏ...