Mechanisms generating modification of benthos following tidal flat invasion by a Spartina hybrid.

Many coastal habitats are being substantially altered by introduced plants. In San Francisco Bay, California, USA, a hybrid form of the eastern cordgrass Spartina alterniflora is rapidly invading open mudflats in southern and central sections of the Bay, altering habitat, reducing macrofaunal densities, and shifting species composition. The invasion has resulted in significant losses of surface-feeding amphipods, bivalves, and cirratulid polychaetes, while subsurface feeding groups such as tubificid oligochaetes and capitellid polychaetes have been unaffected. In the present paper, we document the causes and mechanisms underlying the changes observed. Through a series of in situ manipulative experiments we examined the influence of hybrid Spartina canopy on a range of physical, chemical, and biological properties. The hybrid Spartina canopy exerted a strong influence on the hydrodynamic regime, triggering a series of physical, chemical, and biological changes in the benthic system. Relative to tidal flats, water velocity was reduced in hybrid patches, promoting deposition of fine-grained, organic-rich particles. The resulting changes in the sediment environment included increased porewater sulfide concentrations and anoxia, which led to poor survivorship of surface feeders such as bivalves, amphipods, and polychaetes. These are key taxa that support higher trophic levels including migratory shorebirds that feed on tidal flats. Altered flow in the Spartina canopy further contributed to changes in barnacle recruitment and resuspension of adult benthic invertebrates. Increased crab-induced predation pressure associated with Spartina invasion also contributed to changes in benthic invertebrate communities. Our results suggest that multiple physical, chemical, biotic, and trophic impacts of the Spartina invasion have resulted in substantial changes in benthic communities that are likely to have important effects on the entire ecosystem.     

One trait, many signals: different information on male quality is enclosed within the same trait in a blenny fish

Colourful ornaments are traditionally evaluated as one trait. However, they could consist of several components, such as total size, colour intensity and extension, each possibly bearing its own message about one aspect of quality. Males of the blenny Salaria pavo exhibit a colourful head crest and solely care for eggs. During the breeding season, the head crest shows a yellow colouration, the intensity and relative extension of which are independent of crest size. Here, we show that: (1) carotenoids are responsible for the head crest yellow patch; (2) activating the immune system by injecting the bacterial antigen lipopolysaccharides affects both the intensity and extent of the yellow colouration; and (3) females assess males on the basis of colour patch expression. However, the response of the yellow patch to the immune challenge was dependent on head crest size. Indeed, males with a larger head crest reacted better to the simulated infection, sustaining a level of yellow patch close to pre-challenge size.     

From waste hot-pot oil as carbon precursor to development of recyclable attapulgite/carbon composites for wastewater treatment

The utilization of waste products as valuable materials was a technical imperative for waste management. In this study, the cost-effective attapulgite/carbon(APT/C) composite was developed for wastewater treatment using waste hot-pot oil as a carbon precursor through a facile one-step calcination process. The APT/C composite prepared at 300°C exhibited the excellent adsorption capacity and rapid equilibrium rate over a broad p H range for the removal of various pollutants. More importantly, the removal ratios of the composites toward Methyl Violet and tetracycline still remained 77.6% and 60.2% of the initial adsorption capacity after ten adsorption–regeneration cycles via a facile thermal regeneration strategy, respectively.Beyond all doubt, this research provided a feasible and economical way for the sustainable utilization of waste hot-pot oil in wastewater treatment, achieving the concept of disposal waste with waste and recycling.     

上海沙田湖养殖区及周边水体中氟喹诺酮类抗性基因的分布特征及其与环境因子关系

集约化水产养殖区常被认为是水体抗生素和抗性基因的主要潜在来源,然而对其该类水体中抗生素和抗性基因污染情况的研究仍相对匮乏.本文以上海市沙田湖养殖区及周边水体为调查对象,利用宏基因组学高通量测序技术,于2020年9月对水体中的氟喹诺酮类抗生素(fluoroquinolones,FQs)和氟喹诺酮类抗性基因(fluoroquinolones antibiotic resistance genes,FQs-ARGs)的种类和丰度进行了调查,并利用多元统计分析方法研究了水体理化因子和FQs对FQs-ARGs的影响.结果表明,沙田湖养殖区及周边水体共检测出5类耐药机制、共46种FQs-ARGs,其中各水体共有基因为44种.抗性基因mfd和patA在养殖水体和周边水体中均为优势抗性基因,抗生素抗性基因变异或突变为优势耐药机制.养殖水体和周边河湖水体、不同养殖品种水体之间FQs-ARGs的平均丰度无显著差异(P＞0.05).偏冗余分析(pRDA)表明,除了诺氟沙星和环丙沙星2种抗生素外,水体电导率(Spc)、总磷(TP)、总氮(TN)、氨氮(NH4+-N)、溶解氧(DO)、pH和叶绿素a(Chl-a)等环境因子是影响水体中FQs-ARGs组成与分布的关键性因子,且非抗生素因子的总贡献率远高于抗生素.     

外秦淮河底泥污染及疏浚效果

外秦淮河是南京市一条重要的城市景观行洪河道,多年来受工业及生活污水影响,内源污染严重.为充分了解外秦淮河底泥污染特征,为疏浚提供决策依据,对河道上、中和下游典型断面底泥界面微环境以及营养物含量进行调查,采用有机指数法和污染指数法对底泥污染状况进行评估,同时根据污染物垂向分布特征模拟清淤对底泥内源释放削减的影响.结果表明,上中下游底泥界面以上DO均值分别为4.62、 3.25和3.41mg·L^-1,且分别在4.4、 3.5和5.5 mm处消耗殆尽,是典型的城市河道污染特征体现.调查河段表层底泥的ω(TN)、ω(TP)和ω(OM)均值分别为1 734mg·kg^-1、 1 337 mg·kg^-1和4.82%,底泥TN和OM的有机污染指数均值为0.48,处于尚清洁水平,TP的单项污染指数均值为3.18,处于重度污染水平.模拟30 cm清淤深度结果表明,底泥SRP和Fe²⁺的释放速率较清淤前分别削减42%～82%和88%～96%,而NH⁺₄-N的释放速率却较清淤前有...     

Prenatal diagnosis of a homologous Robertsonian translocation involving chromosome 15

We report the prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with a de novo Robertsonian translocation: 45,XY,der(15;15)(q10;q10). Although Robertsonian translocations are common chromosomal rearrangements, those involving homologous chromosomes are infrequent. Since chromosome 15 is imprinted, uniparental disomy (UPD) is a concern when chromosomal rearrangements involving chromosome 15 are identified. In the present case, UPD studies showed normal biparental inheritance. In contrast to the fact that most homologous acrocentric rearrangements are isochromosomes, these results indicate postzygotic formation of a Robertsonian translocation between biparentally inherited chromosomes 15. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in 189 pregnancies with known outcome

An Erratum has been published for this article in Prenatal Diagnosis 21(7) 2001, 605. Prenatal diagnosis (PD) of fetal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was performed in 242 pregnancies, with known outcome in 189 cases. In 141/189 pregnancies, PD was carried out on account of suspicious maternal CMV serology up to gestational week (WG) 23, and in 48 cases on account of abnormal ultrasonic findings detected between WG 18 and 39. Chorionic villus samples (n=6), amniotic fluid (AF, n=176) and/or fetal blood specimens (n=80) were investigated for detection of virus by cell culture, shell vial assay, PCR and/or CMV-specific IgM antibodies. Of 189 fetuses correctly evaluated by CMV detection either in fetal tissue following therapeutic abortion/stillbirth (n=24) or in urine of neonates within the first 2 weeks of life (n=33), 57 were congenitally infected. In women with proven or suspected primary infection, the intrauterine transmission rates were 20.6% (7/34) and 24.4% (10/41), respectively. Of the congenitally infected live-born infants, 57.6% (19/33) had symptoms of varying degree. The overall sensitivity of PD in the serologic and ultrasound risk groups was 89.5% (51/57). A sensitivity of 100% was achieved by combining detection of CMV-DNA and CMV-specific IgM in fetal blood or by combined testing of AF and fetal blood for CMV-DNA or IgM antibodies. There was no instance of intrauterine death following the invasive procedure. The predictive value of PD for fetal infection was 95.7% (132/138) for negative results and 100% (51/51) for positive results. Correct results for congenital CMV infection by testing AF samples can be expected with samples obtained after WG 21 and after a time interval of at least 6 weeks between first diagnosis of maternal infection and PD. In case of negative findings in AF or fetal blood and the absence of ultrasound abnormalities at WG 22–23, fetal infection and neonatal disease could be excluded with high confidence. Positive findings for CMV infection in AF and/or fetal blood in combination with CMV suspicious ultrasound abnormalities predicted a high risk of cytomegalic inclusion disease (CID). Furthermore, detection of specific IgM antibodies in fetal blood was significantly correlated with severe outcome for the fetus or the newborn (p=0.0224). However, normal ultrasound of infected fetuses at WG 22–23 can neither completely exclude an abnormal ultrasound at a later WG and the birth of a severely damaged child nor the birth of neonates which are afflicted by single manifestations at birth or later and of the kind which are not detectable by currently available ultrasonographic techniques. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The importance of investigating for uniparental disomy in prenatally identified balanced acrocentric rearrangements

We report the finding of paternal isodisomy for chromosome 14 in a fetus found to have a der(14;14)(q10;q10) by amniocentesis. The pregnancy was complicated by severe polyhydramnios and elevated amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The infant showed features consistent with paternal uniparental disomy (UPD) including postnatal growth retardation, poor respiratory function, feeding difficulties, and evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The present case, in addition to other reported cases of UPD involving balanced acrocentric rearrangements, supports testing for UPD in prenatally detected Robertsonian translocations and isochromosomes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Confined placental mosaicism for trisomy 14 and maternal uniparental disomy in association with elevated second trimester maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin and third trimester fetal growth restriction

A case of confined placental mosaicism (CPM) and maternal uniparental isodisomy 14 identified after placental karyotype revealed trisomy 14 in a newborn with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and minor dysmorphic features is reported. During the second trimester of the pregnancy, multiple marker screening revealed an increased risk for Down syndrome of >1 in 10. The maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (MShCG) was markedly elevated at 4.19 MoM. Amniocentesis revealed a normal 46,XX karyotype. Fetal growth restriction has been associated with elevated MShCG and placental aneuploidy with CPM for chromosomes 2, 7, 9 and 16. The present case of CPM for chromosome 14 was also associated with fetal growth restriction and elevated second trimester MShCG, suggesting a common link. Further studies need to be done to determine if indeed elevation of second trimester MShCG is associated with increased risk of CPM. The present case again demonstrates the need to perform placental karyotype in unexplained fetal growth restriction. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.