The fragmentation patterns of maternal plasma cell-free DNA and its applications in non-invasive prenatal testing

The discovery of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in maternal plasma has opened up new promises for the development of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Application of cfDNA in NIPT of fetus diseases and abnormalities is restricted by the low amount of fetal DNA molecules in maternal plasma. Fetus-derived cfDNA in maternal plasma are shorter than maternal DNA, thus leveraging the maternal and fetus-derived cfDNA molecules size difference has become a novel and more accurate method for NIPT. However, multiple biological properties such as size distribution of plasma DNA, proportion of fetal-derived DNA and methylation levels in maternal plasma across different gestational ages still remain largely unknown. Further insights into the size distribution and fragmentation pattern of circulating plasma cfDNA will shed light on the origin and fragmentation mechanisms of cfDNA during physiological and pathological processes in prenatal diseases and enhance our ability to take the advantage of plasma cfDNA as a molecular diagnostic tool. In the review, we start by summarizing the research techniques for the determination of the fragmentation profiles of cfDNA in maternal plasma. We then summarize the main progress and findings in size profiles of maternal plasma cfDNA and cffDNA. Finally, we discuss the potential diagnostic applications of plasma cfDNA size profiling.     

海洋石油工程清洁生产评估方法研究

从资源能源利用、废弃物产生、废弃物回收利用、污染物处理、环境管理效果和环境响应情况着手,建立了包括6个一级指标、29个二级指标的海洋石油工程清洁生产评估指标体系;研究利用专家调查和层次分析法确定各评估指标的权重值,探索评估指标的赋值方法、标准化方法,提出了海洋石油工程清洁生产综合指数计算方法体系。     

孑遗植物四合木(Tetraenamongolica)迁地保护中的光合作用日变化特征与生理生态适应性

为了进一步廓清迁地保护条件下孑遗植物四合木（Tetraena mongolica）的光合生理生态适应性,在分析了瞬时光合效率的基础上,应用LI-6400光合作用测定系统测定了迁地保护试验区的四合木以及原生境伴生种白刺（Nitraria tangutorum）的光合作用日变化,并测定了其生长量。结果表明：四合木实生苗的生长南北冠幅大小依次为乌海四合木核心区实生苗（26.48 cm×27.26 cm）>鄂尔多斯实生苗（21.27 cm×21.75 cm）>阿拉善实生苗（19.25 cm×18.27 cm）。在原生境地乌海四合木核心区种植的实生苗与阿拉善实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.01）,与鄂尔多斯实生苗之间的生长量存在显著差异（P≤0.05）。迁地保护条件下四合木生实生苗植株叶片光合速率Pn日变化均呈“双峰”曲线。不同试验区四合木光合作用日变化（Pn）、蒸腾速率（Tr）、气孔导度（Gs）和胞间 CO2浓度（Ci）均表现出明显的分异。迁地保护四合木条件下原生境地栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>鄂尔多斯栽培的四合木实生苗的光合速率>阿拉善栽培的四合木实生苗。鉴此可以作进一步推论,孑遗濒危植物四合木从原生境地西鄂尔多斯核心区（乌海）东移进行迁地保护具有更高的生理生态适应性和生境适宜性。但完成“从种子到种子”进而实现“保存性和代表性”,最终实现四合木迁地保护的“保持性和防止性”,保持其遗传多样性和遗传稳定性,最终成功实现四合木的迁地保护仍有待作进一步探索和深入研究。     

基于致灾因子指标体系的海冰灾害风险评估和区划方法

中国是世界上受海冰危害严重的国家之一,历史上曾发生过多次严重海冰灾害,造成重大损失。根据我国结冰海区海冰灾害风险的自然过程、社会经济状况和成灾机制,综合考虑致灾因子危险性、承灾体分类、分布及脆弱性以及防灾减灾能力等因素,对海冰灾害发生的可能性及其不确定性等进行综合分析,提出了开展海冰灾害风险评估和区划的理论依据,同时给出了利用致灾因子指标体系对海冰灾害风险进行评估和区划的具体方法。     

Interaction and influence of two creeks on Escherichia coli concentrations of nearby beaches: exploration of predictability and mechanisms

The impact of river outfalls on beach water quality depends on numerous interacting factors. The delivery of contaminants by multiple creeks greatly complicates understanding of the source contributions, especially when pollution might originate up- or down-coast of beaches. We studied two beaches along Lake Michigan that are located between two creek outfalls to determine the hydrometeorologic factors influencing near-shore microbiologic water quality and the relative impact of the creeks. The creeks continuously delivered water with high concentrations of Escherichia coli to Lake Michigan, and the direction of transport of these bacteria was affected by current direction. Current direction reversals were associated with elevated E. coli concentrations at Central Avenue beach. Rainfall, barometric pressure, wave height, wave period, and creek specific conductance were significantly related to E. coli concentration at the beaches and were the parameters used in predictive models that best described E. coli variation at the two beaches. Multiple inputs to numerous beaches complicates the analysis and understanding of the relative relationship of sources but affords opportunities for showing how these complex creek inputs might interact to yield collective or individual effects on beach water quality.     

Biofilm-overproducing Bacillus subtilis B12ΔYwcc decreases Cd uptake in Chinese cabbage through increasing Cd-immobilizing related gene abundance and root surface colonization

Biofilm-producing bacteria can decrease Cd uptake in vegetables, but mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly characterized. In this study, two mutant strains B12ΔYwcc and B12ΔSlrR were constructed from a biofilm-producing Bacillus subtilis strain B12. Then, the impacts of strain B12 and its high biofilm-producing mutant strain B12ΔYwcc and low biofilm-producing mutant strain B12ΔSlrR on Cd availability and uptake in Chinese cabbage and the related mechanisms were investigated in the Cd-polluted soil. Strain B12 and its mutants B12ΔYwcc and B12ΔSlrR increased the dry biomasses of edible tissues by 54%–130% compared with the controls. Strain B12 and its mutant B12ΔYwcc reduced the soil available Cd content by 36%–50% and root and edible tissue Cd contents by 23%–50% compared with the controls. Furthermore, the mutant strain B12ΔYwcc reduced the edible tissue Cd content by 40% and increased the polysaccharide content by 23%, invertase activity by 139%, and gene copies of the cumA by 4.5-fold, epsA by 7.1-fold, and cadA by 4.3-fold, which were involved in Cd adsorption in the rhizosphere soils, respectively, compared with strain B12. The polysaccharide content and cumA, epsA, and cadA gene copy numbers showed significantly reverse correlations with the available Cd content. Notably, the mutant strain B12ΔYwcc showed better ability to colonize the vegetable root surface than strain B12. These findings demonstrated that the biofilm-overproducing mutant strain B12ΔYwcc increased the polysaccharide production and Cd-immobilizing related cumA, epsA, and cadA gene copies, resulting in lower Cd availability and accumulation in Chinese cabbage in the Cd-polluted soil.     

Low-reactive circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) fly ashes as source material for geopolymer synthesis

In this contribution, low-reactive circulating fluidized bed combustion (CFBC) fly ashes (CFAs) have firstly been utilized as a source material for geopolymer synthesis. An alkali fusion process was employed to promote the dissolution of Si and Al species from the CFAs, and thus to enhance the reactivity of the ashes. A high-reactive metakaolin (MK) was also used to consume the excess alkali needed for the fusion. Reactivities of the CFAs and MK were examined by a series of dissolution tests in sodium hydroxide solutions. Geopolymer samples were prepared by alkali activation of the source materials using a sodium silicate solution as the activator. The synthesized products were characterized by mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractography (XRD), as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results of this study indicate that, via enhancing the reactivity by alkali fusion and balancing the Na/Al ratio by additional aluminosilicate source, low-reactive CFAs could also be recycled as an alternative source material for geopolymer production.     

饮食业污水排污费征收办法的研究

在分析了当前饮食业排污收费现状和存在问题的基础上，提出了一种较易操作的排污费征收办法，并认为这种征收办法在实践上是可行的。     

医疗废物处置厂污水处理技术

从污水处理工艺、处理方式、水量平衡和自动控制方面论述了医疗废物处置厂污水处理系统,并申请了发明专利。根据医疗废物处置厂水质复杂、水量小、需中水回用等特点,采用物化、生化和微滤膜处理工艺,达到中水回用标准。消毒废水单独处理,循环使用。