影响土壤重金属生物毒性的若干因子

本文应用发光细菌法探讨了土壤类型、粘土矿物、无定形金属氧化物、吸附剂对重金属纯溶液以及重金属污染土壤的降毒效应.红壤、砖红壤对Cu、Cd、Pb呈现负的降毒效应,而对As具有明显的降毒作用.黑土、黄棕壤对供试阳离子金属具有明显的降毒效应,对As降毒却不明显.试验证明粘土矿物及其组成是影响土壤重金属毒性的最基本因素.无定形氧化锰对供试阳离子金属的降毒能力大于无定形氧化铁,对As的效应二者则相反.不同吸附剂对Cu、Cd、Pb呈现基本相同的降毒顺序,即炉烟灰>活性炭>泥炭>干活性污泥,不同配比吸附剂对红壤添加性阳离子和东乡铜矿污染土壤均具有明显的降毒作用.添加吸附剂的东乡铜矿污染土壤随着土壤溶液毒性的消除,随之也消除或减轻了其对水稻种芽的急性毒害.     

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.     

Diffusions-Plattenmethode zur Feststellung der fungistatischen Wirksamkeit der Antibiotika

The Science of Nature -     

The functionality of female reciprocal calls in the Iberian midwife toad (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alytes cisternasii</Emphasis>): female-female acoustic competition?

Female midwife toads (genus Alytes) emit highly variable reciprocal calls of unclear function prior to and during courtship. In some species, female-female competition, expressed as physical fighting, has been reported. Males of Majorcan midwife toads (Alytes muletensis) show phonotactic response to female calls, and females of Iberian midwife toads (Alytes cisternasii) respond differently according to the male call characteristics. In this study, I test the hypothesis of female-female acoustic competition as an additional function of female reciprocal calls. Playback tests indicate that female calls are not clearly involved in female acoustic competition in the Iberian midwife toad, therefore female calls could be directed at males rather than towards competitive females.     

电厂锅炉清洗废水治理工艺

电厂锅炉清洗废水中，含有高浓度的柠檬酸和丙酮肟等有机污染物。经试验，采取原水作适当稀释后，进行好氧曝气－活性炭生物膜法二级处理，ＣＯＤｃｒ总去除率可达８８％－９０％；ＢＯＤ５去除率为９０％。经两经处理后的出水，ＣＯＤｃｒ＜１００ｍｇ／ｌ，ＢＯＤ５＜５０ｍｇ／ｌ，可达到较好的处理效果。     

Rapid modification in the olfactory signal of ants following a change in reproductive status

In insect societies, the presence and condition of egg-layers can be assessed with pheromones. Exocrine secretions are expected to vary in time in order to give up-to-date information on an individuals reproductive physiology. In the queenless monogynous ant Streblognathus peetersi, we allowed a previously infertile high-ranking worker to accede to the alpha rank, thus triggering the onset of her oogenesis (15 replicates). We then studied her interactions with an established egg-layer from the same colony after different durations, ranging from 20 h to several days. Even though her eggs are only ready to be laid after 30 days, the new alpha was recognised within 1–2 days. Detection occurred at a distance of a few millimetres, suggesting the involvement of a pheromone with low volatility, such as cuticular hydrocarbons. When the new alpha had differentiated for >48 h, she was attacked by the established egg-layer. In all cases, low-ranking workers eventually immobilised one of the two alphas: the new alpha was the target if she had differentiated only recently, suggesting that police workers select the dominant worker with the less fertile odour. Using the behaviour of ants as our measure, we demonstrate that a dominants olfactory signal changes rapidly with a modification in her social status, and it occurs well before the onset of egg-laying.