Discordant results between fetal karyotyping and non-invasive prenatal testing by maternal plasma sequencing in a case of uniparental disomy 21 due to trisomic rescue

Uniparental disomy (UPD) is an uncommon chromosome condition, but UPD involving chromosome 21 is rarely reported. We reported here a case who had first trimester screening test for Down syndrome, chorionic villus sampling for fetal karyotyping, quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR), as well as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) by maternal plasma sequencing. There were discordant results between fetal karyotyping and NIPT due to UPD 21combined with confined placental mosaicism of trisomy 21. This demonstrated that it is possible to detect placental mosaicism by NIPT, but further studies are required to confirm its sensitivity. Therefore, all positive NIPT results must be confirmed by conventional invasive test and karyotyping. QF-PCR has the additional benefit in diagnosing UPD. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

低温短时水热预处理混合及初沉污泥的高温厌氧消化特性研究

以低温短时(90℃、30 min)水热预处理后的混合及初沉污泥为研究对象,分别进行了高温((55±1)℃)厌氧消化连续性试验.研究了该预处理条件下这两类污泥在水力停留时间(HRT)为20 d时的产气量、有机物分解率及物料平衡等,探讨了低温短时水热预处理对提高污泥厌氧消化性能的效果.结果表明:TS约为35 g·L-1的预处理混合污泥与初沉污泥经高温厌氧消化后,投加单位VS的产气量分别为(343.00±9.86)m L·g-1和(365.00±7.61)m L·g-1,VS去除率分别为38.9%和45.8%.COD物料平衡计算结果表明,混合和初沉污泥中分别有33.6%和43.9%的固体有机物被分解转化,生物气中CH4含量均在70%左右.     

柠檬酸对重金属复合污染土壤的浸提效果研究

以浙江富阳某炼铜厂附近受Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn复合污染的土壤为研究对象,采用振荡、静置和超声3种不同浸提方式,通过研究柠檬酸在不同浸提方式下对重金属的去除效果,筛选出最佳柠檬酸浓度、处理时间及功率,并采用Tessier连续提取法分析浸提前后4种重金属形态变化.结果表明,柠檬酸对4种重金属均具有较好的去除效果,其中对Zn的去除效果最好,Cd的去除效果最差,而Cu和Pb的去除效果相当.Pb和Zn的去除率均随着柠檬酸浓度的增加而增加,但增幅随之减小,Cu的去除率则先增加后基本保持不变,而Cd的去除率变化不明显.综合考虑成本和浸提效果后,选用0.2 mol·L-1柠檬酸浸提2次为最优条件,最佳振荡时间和静置时间分别为4 h和24 h,最佳超声时间和功率分别为30 min和500 W.柠檬酸能够在很大程度上改变土壤中重金属的形态分布,主要去除以可交换态和碳酸盐结合态形式存在的Cd及以碳酸盐结合态和铁锰氧化物结合态形式存在的Cu、Pb和Zn.通过对比3种浸提方式,在同等去除效果的前提下,静置浸提相比振荡浸提需要更长的时间,而将超声波应用于重金属污染土壤淋洗,所需时间较少,因此,超声波辅助浸提土壤中重金属是可行的,具有良好的应用前景.     

长江流域春夏旱涝灾害与太平洋海温关联性研究

基于长江流域区域1956-2011年50年气象资料和同期太平洋海温资料,采用Z指数、EOF、REOF、SVD分析等方法,探讨长江流域春季和夏季旱涝特征及其旱涝事件与极端海温异常之间的关联性,得出以下结论。1REOF的Z指数春夏季节旱涝空间分区特征显示,春季前6个模态的累计方差贡献率能够达到61.2%,收敛速度较平缓,夏季前6个模态累积方差贡献率更低,只有52.1%。2前冬太平洋海温的变化与长江流域旱涝的态势呈显著相关关系,春季海温场与长江流域旱涝Z指数场的SVD第一模态显示,长江流域的东北区的旱涝与厄尔尼诺显著相关,当赤道东太平洋海温升高,西太平洋海温降低时,长江流域东北地区偏涝,而长江流域的西部地区偏旱,反之亦然。3夏季海温场与长江流域旱涝Z指数场的SVD第一模态,表明太平洋海温分布主要呈现南北向的分布,当赤道中东太平洋海温偏高,北太平洋海温偏低时,长江流域夏季中部地区偏涝。反之亦然。第二模态,全球海温呈现厄尔尼诺类型的分布,中东太平洋是负相关,而在西太平洋为显著负相关。     

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。     

检测细胞DNA断裂损伤效应的彗星实验法的改良

为了解决彗星实验过程中常出现的脱胶、细胞核分离操作繁琐、重复性低等问题,对彗星实验方法进行了改良,初步建立了彗星实验的快速操作流程。结果显示,通过对载玻片进行预处理,可确保凝胶悬挂均匀;采用改良机械法分离的细胞核浓度适中;以0.5%(w/v)涂层琼脂糖作为基层、以1.5%(w/v)低熔点包埋琼脂糖作为叠加层的"双层凝胶法",辅以"推片法"铺胶,操作便捷且不发生脱胶现象;细胞核膜经裂解处理后再进行电泳和荧光观察,彗星图像清晰,杂质少。应用改良后的彗星实验方法,操作简便,耗时更短,实验效果良好,可快速检测出细胞DNA损伤效应。     

Microcystis aeruginosa/Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes interaction effects on off-flavors in algae/bacteria co-culture system under different temperatures

We conducted an experiment to study the interaction effects of Microcystis aeruginosa and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes on off-flavors in an algae/bacteria co-culture system at three temperatures (24, 28 and 32°C). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was applied to measure off-flavor compounds dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), 2-methylisoborneol, geosmin (GEO) and β-cyclocitral. During the lag phase of co-cultured M. aeruginosa (first 15 days), P. pseudoalcaligenes significantly increased the production of DMS, DMTS and β-cyclocitral at all three temperatures. In the exponential phase of co-cultured M. aeruginosa (after 15 days), M. aeruginosa became the main factor on off-flavors in the co-culture system, and β-cyclocitral turned to the highest off-flavor compound. These results also indicated that DMS, DMTS and β-cyclocitral were the main off-flavor compounds in our M. aeruginosa/P. pseudoalcaligenes co-culture system. Univariate analysis was applied to investigate the effects of M. aeruginosa and P. pseudoalcaligenes on the production of off-flavors. The results demonstrated that both M. aeruginosa and P. pseudoalcaligenes could increase the production of DMS and DMTS, while β-cyclocitral was mainly determined by M. aeruginosa. Our results also provide some insights into understanding the relationship between cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria.     

Phosphorus recovery from biogas fermentation liquid by Ca–Mg loaded biochar

Shortage in phosphorus (P) resources and P wastewater pollution is considered as a serious problem worldwide. The application of modified biochar for P recovery from wastewater and reuse of recovered P as agricultural fertilizer is a preferred process. This work aims to develop a calcium and magnesium loaded biochar (Ca–Mg/biochar) application for P recovery from biogas fermentation liquid. The physico-chemical characterization, adsorption efficiency, adsorption selectivity, and postsorption availability of Ca-Mg/biochar were investigated. The synthesized Ca–Mg/biochar was rich in organic functional groups and in CaO and MgO nanoparticles. With the increase in synthesis temperature, the yield decreased, C content increased, H content decreased, N content remained the same basically, and BET surface area increased. The P adsorption of Ca–Mg/biochar could be accelerated by nano-CaO and nano-MgO particles and reached equilibrium after 360 min. The process was endothermic, spontaneous, and showed an increase in the disorder of the solid–liquid interface. Moreover, it could be fitted by the Freundlich model. The maximum P adsorption amounts were 294.22, 315.33, and 326.63 mg/g. The P adsorption selectivity of Ca–Mg/biochar could not be significantly influenced by the typical pH level of biogas fermentation liquid. The nano-CaO and nano-MgO particles of Ca–Mg/biochar could reduce the negative interaction effects of coexisting ions. The P releasing amounts of postsorption Ca–Mg/biochar were in the order of Ca–Mg/B600 > Ca–Mg/B450 > Ca–Mg/B300. Results revealed that postsorption Ca–Mg/biochar can continually release P and is more suitable for an acid environment.     

Microcystis aeruginosa/Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes interaction effects on off-flavors in algae/bacteria co-culture system under different temperatures

We conducted an experiment to study the interaction effects of Microcystis aeruginosa and Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes on off-flavors in an algae/bacteria co-culture system at three temperatures(24, 28 and 32℃). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was applied to measure off-flavor compounds dimethyl sulfide(DMS), dimethyl trisulfide(DMTS),2-methylisoborneol, geosmin(GEO) and β-cyclocitral. During the lag phase of co-cultured M. aeruginosa(first 15 days), P. pseudoalcaligenes significantly increased the production of DMS, DMTS and β-cyclocitral at all three temperatures. In the exponential phase of co-cultured M. aeruginosa(after 15 days), M. aeruginosa became the main factor on off-flavors in the co-culture system, and β-cyclocitral turned to the highest off-flavor compound. These results also indicated that DMS, DMTS and β-cyclocitral were the main off-flavor compounds in our M. aeruginosa/P. pseudoalcaligenes co-culture system. Univariate analysis was applied to investigate the effects of M. aeruginosa and P. pseudoalcaligenes on the production of off-flavors. The results demonstrated that both M. aeruginosa and P. pseudoalcaligenes could increase the production of DMS and DMTS, while β-cyclocitral was mainly determined by M. aeruginosa. Our results also provide some insights into understanding the relationship between cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria.