Inter and intra-population variation in shoaling and boldness in the zebrafish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Danio rerio</Emphasis>)

Population differences in anti-predator behaviour have been demonstrated in several species, although less is known about the genetic basis of these traits. To determine the extent of genetic differences in boldness (defined as exploration of a novel object) and shoaling within and between zebrafish (Danio rerio) populations, and to examine the genetic basis of shoaling behaviour in general, we carried out a study that involved laboratory-raised fish derived from four wild-caught populations. Controlling for differences in rearing environment, significant inter-population differences were found in boldness but not shoaling. A larger shoaling experiment was also performed using one of the populations as the basis of a North Carolina type II breeding design (174 fish in total) to estimate heritability of shoaling tendency. A narrow-sense heritability estimate of 0.40 was obtained, with no apparent dominance effects.     

Toxic metals in sewage sludge-amended soils: has promotion of beneficial use discounted the risks?

Land application of contaminated waste products has been defended as beneficial use by some scientists and regulators, based on the premise that the behavior of any toxins accumulated in soils from this practice is reasonably well understood and will not have detrimental agronomic or environmental impacts into the foreseeable future. In this review, I use the case of toxic metals in sewage sludges applied to agricultural land to illustrate that metal behavior in soils and plant uptake is difficult to generalize because it is strongly dependent on the nature of the metal, sludge, soil properties and crop. Nevertheless, permitted agricultural loadings of toxic metals from sewage sludges are typically regulated using the sole criterion of total metal loading or concentrations in soils. Several critical generalizing assumptions about the behavior of sludge-borne metals in soil-crop systems, built into the US EPA risk assessment for metals, have tended to underestimate risks and are shown not to be well justified by published research. It is argued that, in the absence of a basic understanding of metal behavior in each specific situation, a more precautionary approach to toxic metal additions to soils is warranted.     

城市污水厂污泥热干燥处理技术及其应用分析

提出采用热干燥处理技术进一步降低脱水泥饼的含水率，介绍了现行的污泥热干燥处理技术，并就该技术在污泥处理中的应用尤其是在焚烧预处理中的应用进行了分析。     

沸腾炉底灰的特性研究

用化学分析、Ｘ射线能谱、扫描电子显微镜、偏光显微、激光粒度分析仪等仪器地沸腾炉燃烧所产生的底灰的化学成分、颗粒形貌、粒度、物理性质和工艺性质等系统的分析，并一全国电厂煤粉炉产煤灰的特性进行了对比，结果表明，沸腾炉产底灰具有形态不规则、矿物相中无莫来石矿物、未燃烬炭量低、细底低、比表面积小、火山炭活性高等特点，为沸腾炉底灰的加工利用提供了重要的科学依据。     

壬基酚聚氧乙烯醚在污水处理过程中的迁移转化行为

用正相色谱－质谱联用法（NPLC－MS）分离分析高聚合度的NPnEO(n＞2）,用气相色谱－质谱联用方法（GC－MS）测定其中的NP,NP1EO和NP2EO浓度,对NPnEO在城市污水处理厂的迁移转化行为进行了研究。在污水处理厂的进水中,检测出NP和NPnEO(n=1-23）,总浓度为174nmol/L,其中NP2EO的浓度最高,为89．6nmol/L;其次分别为NP（42．2nmol/L）和NP1EO（12．2nmol/L）;出水中同样检测出NP和NPnEO(n=1-18),其中NP2EO的浓度最高,为37．2nmol/L;其次分别为NP（6．64nmol/L）和NP1EO（0．135nmol/L)。在城市污水处理过程中,NPnEO从高聚合度降妥成低聚合度,NP和NPnEO的总去降率为71％。另外,NP和NPnEO在污泥及污泥过滤水中的分配表明污泥对NPnEO有明显的吸附作用,并近似符合Dubinin-Astakhov等温吸附。     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency by steroid analysis in the amniotic fluid of mid-pregnancy: Comparison with HLA typing in 17 pregnancies at risk for CAH

Amniotic fluid (AF) levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) and testosterone (T) were determined at 16–17 weeks in 17 pregnancies at risk for CAH and results compared to 75 normal controls. The fetus was predicted to be unaffected in 12 cases on the findings of normal AF levels of both 17OHP and T and the latter allowed a correct prediction of fetal sex in all instances. HLA typing confirmed normality in 12 cases revealing 5 carriers, 5 homozygous normal and 2 indeterminate. Steroid levels of the 2 groups were similar. Three fetuses were predicted to be CAH affected on unambiguously high levels of 17OHP and T (in female only). HLA typing was in agreement, and the diagnosis was confirmed in 2 abortuses and a female newborn by physical and hormonal studies. In the last 2 cases AF levels of OHP and T were normal but HLA (A/B/C) genotypes were identical to the CAH affected siblings. Normal physical and hormonal findings in the 2 aborted fetuses would exclude the possibility of an in utero virilizing form of CAH. The discrepancy could be explained on the basis that the fetuses had an allelic form of 21-hydroxylase deficiency or on the basis of recombination (not fully tested). It is concluded that a fully informative prenatal diagnosis of CAH should not rely entirely on HLA typing but on hormonal studies.