水乡的困惑

当龙头被安上龙舟时，牛皮大鼓擂响了。这一通响鼓，不仅是端午节的龙舟游戏的激情召唤，也唤醒了龙潭这个岭南水乡的记忆乡愁。     

Droplet digital PCR is a cost-effective method for analyzing long cell-free DNA in maternal plasma: Application in preeclampsia

Objective

Long cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be found in the plasma of pregnant women and cancer patients. We investigated if droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) can analyze such molecules for diagnostic purposes using preeclampsia as a model.

Method

Plasma samples from ten preeclamptic and sixteen normal pregnancies were analyzed. Two ddPCR assays targeting a single-copy gene, VCP, and one ddPCR assay targeting LINE-1 repetitive regions were used to measure the percentages of long cfDNA >533, 1001, and 170 bp, respectively. The LINE-1 assay was developed as guided by in silico PCR analyses to better differentiate preeclamptic and normal pregnancies.

Results

Preeclamptic patients had a significantly lower median percentage of long cfDNA than healthy pregnant controls, as determined by the LINE-1 170 bp assay (28.9% vs. 35.1%, p < 0.0001) and the VCP 533 bp assay (6.6% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.014). The LINE-1 assay provided a better differentiation than the VCP 533 bp assay (area under ROC curves, 0.94 vs. 0.79).

Conclusion

ddPCR is a cost-effective approach for unlocking diagnostic information carried by long cfDNA in plasma and may have applications for the detection of preeclampsia. Further longitudinal studies with larger cohorts are required to assess the clinical utility of this test.     

某石油污染地下水溶解性无机碳低异常的微生物地球化学成因探析

微生物地球化学作用往往导致石油污染场地地下水中溶解性无机碳(DIC)升高,而华北某石油污染场地地下水DIC低异常明显.为究其机理,在水文地球化学分析和16S rRNA基因高通量测序基础上,结合含水层结构及流场特征,剖析了地下水水化学和微生物两方面作用,辨识了地下水中DIC变异的主导因素,揭示了其中的生物地球化学作用的机理,发现该场地地下水DIC低异常可能与地下水中具有较高浓度钙镁离子和较高活性自养微生物有关,自养微生物代谢及诱导产生碳酸盐岩沉淀作用极可能是该场地地下水中DIC低异常的成因.推测机理为:Hydrogenophaga和Sedimentibacter等菌属微生物在氢化酶的作用下产氢气,Hydrogenophaga、Pseudomonas、Pseudoxanthomonas、Polynucleobacter等固碳微生物和产甲烷微生物利用氢气作为能源,将DIC合成有机碳,并产生碱性微环境,促使Ca~(2+)和Mg~(2+)与DIC反应形成碳酸钙镁沉淀.     

Growth response of Sesbania rostrata and S. cannabina to sludge-amended lead/zinc mine tailings. A greenhouse study

Legumes are ideal for revegetation of metal-mined wastelands which lack nitrogen (N). A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using Sesbania rostrata and S. cannabina for the reclamation of lead/zinc (Pb/Zn) mine tailings and to evaluate the effects of organic amendment using sewage sludge (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, v/v). The results showed that both species could continue to grow on the highly toxic tailings substrata for at least 80 days, although their growth suffered from adverse effects. That S. rostrata with stem and root nodules had better growth (biomass, growth rates, and biomass of nodules) than S. cannabina suggested that S. rostrata is a better choice as a pioneer species for revegetation of the mine tailings. Stem nodules had less obvious adverse effects imposed by tailings than root nodules. Application of sewage sludge increased contents of total carbon (C), N, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), and reduced total Zn, Pb, Cd, and DTPA-extractable Pb and Cd in tailings substrata. These, in turn, reduced metal (Zn, Pb, and Cd) uptake and accumulation in plant tissues, and improved plant growth performance, including biomass, growth rates, stem nodulation. Fifty percent (v/v) of sludge application rate was the best loading rate for plant growth.     

Carbon and polymer-based magnetic nanocomposites for oil-spill remediation—a comprehensive review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Oil spills are a major contributor to water contamination, which sets off a significant impact on the environment, biodiversity, and economy....     

Magnetic nanocomposites for sustainable water purification—a comprehensive review

Numerous contaminants in huge amounts are discharged to the environment from various anthropogenic activities. Waterbodies are one of the major receivers of these contaminants. The contaminated water can pose serious threats to humans and animals, by distrubing the ecosystem. In treating the contaminated water, adsorption processes have attained significant maturity due to lower cost, easy operation and environmental friendliness. The adsorption process uses various adsorbent materials and some of emerging adsorbent materials include carbon- and polymer-based magnetic nanocomposites. These hybrid magnetic nanocomposites have attained extensive applications in water treatment technologies due to their magnetic properties as well as combination of unique characteristics of organic and inorganic elements. Carbon- and polymer-related magnetic nanocomposites are more adapted materials for the removal of various kinds of contaminants from waterbodies. These nanocomposites can be produced via different approaches such as filling, pulse-laser irradiation, ball milling, and electro-spinning. This comprehensive review is compiled by reviewing published work of last the latest recent 3 years. The review article extensively focuses on different approaches for producing various carbon- and polymer-based magnetic nanocomposites, their merits and demerits and applications for sustainable water purification. More specifically, use of carbon- and polymer-based magnetic nanocomposites for removal of heavy metal ions and dyes is discussed in detail, critically analyzed and compared with other technologies. In addition, commercial viability in terms of regeneration of adsorbents is also reviewed. Furthermore, the future challenges and prospects in employing magnetic nanocomposites for contaminant removal from various water sources are presented.

     

Waves of intermediate length through an array of vertical cylinders

We report a semi-analytical theory of wave propagation through a vegetated water. Our aim is to construct a mathematical model for waves propagating through a lattice-like array of vertical cylinders, where the macro-scale variation of waves is derived from the dynamics in the micro-scale cells. Assuming infinitesimal waves, periodic lattice configuration, and strong contrast between the lattice spacing and the typical wavelength, the perturbation theory of homogenization (multiple scales) is used to derive the effective equations governing the macro-scale wave dynamics. The constitutive coefficients are computed from the solution of micro-scale boundary-value problem for a finite number of unit cells. Eddy viscosity in a unit cell is determined by balancing the time-averaged rate of dissipation and the rate of work done by wave force on the forest at a finite number of macro stations. While the spirit is similar to RANS scheme, less computational effort is needed. Using one fitting parameter, the theory is used to simulate three existing experiments with encouraging results. Limitations of the present theory are also pointed out.     

渔业养殖区溶解性有机质的来源、组成及其对汞甲基化的影响

溶解性有机质（DOM）对水生环境中汞的赋存形态及转化过程具有极其重要的影响.但从更加微观的角度,如DOM的组成部分及其官能团特征等,却缺乏相关研究以阐明DOM影响汞形态转化的机制.为探究渔业养殖区来源于不同有机物（如残饵、鱼粪和底泥）的DOM各亚组分对水体中汞甲基化的影响,应用多级树脂联用技术,将渔业养殖区不同来源的DOM分离出6种亚组分,利用室内培养方式进行Hg²⁺的甲基化试验.傅里叶红外光谱分析结果表明,DOM中含有各种不同的官能团.亲水性组分主要包含羟基、羧基等极性较强的官能团;疏水性组分则包含一些无极性或者弱极性官能团如甲基、亚甲基和酚羟基等.疏水性亚组分是DOM的主要组成成分,其中又以疏水性碱性物质（HOB）为最,在有机物腐解过程中一直占有最大的比重.总体而言,疏水性有机组分对汞甲基化的促进作用显著高于亲水性有机组分;这主要是因为亲水性有机组分含有大量的羧基、羟基等官能团,可以更好地与活性Hg²⁺结合,降低甲基化反应的底物浓度,从而抑制甲基化发生.而疏水性组分对汞亲和性较弱,而且所含酚羟基以及还原性含硫基团等都可作为电子供体,从而促进汞甲基化的发生.从总体来说,在有机质腐解过程中,各种非同源有机质所形成的HOB对汞甲基化的促进作用不断增强.     

Algal plating as a tool for investigating allelopathy among marine microalgae

Chemical interactions among marine microalgae were studied in cultures of pennate diatoms on agar plates. Nine marine and freshwater pennate diatoms were surveyed as potential bioassay organisms; Cylindrotheca fusiformis was most favourable for assays because of its rapid and even growth on agar. Diatom and bacterial bioassays were used to screen cell and filtrate extracts of 14 microalgal cultures. A number of these algal species, which were grown axenically, produced extractable, intracellular and/or extracellular substances that inhibited the growth of C. fusiformis. Our results suggest that the culturing of pennate diatoms on a solid medium can provide a simple bioassay for screening algal extracts which potentially contain growth inhibitors involved in microalgal allelopathy.     

Evaluation of leachate recirculation on nitrous oxide production in the Likang Landfill,China

Landfill leachate recirculation is efficient in reducing the leachate quantity handled by a leachate treatment plant. However, after land application of leachate, nitrification and denitrification of the ammoniacal N becomes possible and the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) is produced. Lack of information on the effects of leachate recirculation on N2O production led to a field study being conducted in the Likang Landfill (Guangzhou, China) where leachate recirculation had been practiced for 8 yr. Monthly productions and fluxes of N2O from leachate and soil were studied from June to November 2000. Environmental and chemical factors regulating N2O production were also accessed. An impermeable top liner was not used at this site; municipal solid waste was simply covered by inert soil and compacted by bulldozers. A high N2O emission rate (113 mg m-2 h-1) was detected from a leachate pond purposely formed on topsoil within the landfill boundary after leachate irrigation. A high N2O level (1.09 micrograms L-1) was detected in a gas sample emitted from topsoil 1 m from the leachate pond. Nitrous oxide production from denitrification in leachate-contaminated soil was at least 20 times higher than that from nitrification based on laboratory incubation studies. The N2O levels emitted from leachate ponds were compared with figures reported for different ecosystems and showed that the results of the present study were 68.7 to 88.6 times higher. Leachate recirculation can be a cost-effective operation in reducing the volume of leachate to be treated in landfill. However, to reduce N2O flux, leachate should be applied to underground soil rather than being irrigated and allowed to flow on topsoil.