Best‐practice recommendations for estimating interaction effects using meta‐analysis

One of the key advantages of meta‐analysis (i.e., a quantitative literature review) over a narrative literature review is that it allows for formal tests of interaction effects—namely, whether the relationship between two variables is contingent upon the value of another (moderator) variable. Interaction effects play a central role in organizational science research because they highlight boundary conditions of a theory: Conditions under which relationships change in strength and/or direction. This article describes procedures for estimating interaction effects using meta‐analysis, distills the technical literature for a general readership of organizational science researchers, and includes specific best‐practice recommendations regarding actions researchers can take before and after data collection to improve the accuracy of substantive conclusions regarding interaction effects investigated meta‐analytically. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国生物入侵的现状与趋势

采用文献调研、实地考察与专家咨询相结合的方式,对中国境内森林、湿地、草原、荒漠、内陆水域和海洋等生态系统的外来入侵物种进行调查,共查明488种外来入侵物种并收集其详细信息,包括名称、分类地位、分布、起源、首次发现或引入的地点和时间、入侵途径、危害、营养和环境条件等.在这488种外来入侵物种中,植物265种,动物171种,菌物26种,病毒12种,原核生物11种,原生生物3种.对有较明确入侵时间记载的392种外来入侵物种入侵年代的分析结果表明,1850年以前,仅出现31种外来人侵物种,自1850年起,新的外来入侵物种种数总体呈逐步上升趋势,特别是1950年后的60a间,新出现209种.外来入侵物种首次发现的地点集中在沿海地区及云南和新疆等边疆地区,但首次发现地点有逐步北移的趋势.有意引进与无意引进的外来入侵物种种数所占比例十分接近,近年来无意引进成为首要途径.美洲、欧洲和亚洲其他地区是中国外来入侵物种的主要来源地.外来入侵物种的分布呈现由沿海向内陆逐步减少的趋势.     

Does a ‘notched’ nuchal translucency indicate Down syndrome fetuses or other adverse pregnancy outcome?

The aim of the present study was to assess the sonographic contour of the increased nuchal translucency (NT) and to correlate this with pregnancy outcome. Fifty sonographic images of fetuses with increased NT [>95th centile thickness of the normal range for crown–rump length (CRL) between 38 and 84 mm] were retrospectively assessed. In all the cases a complete pregnancy and even infancy follow-up (<36 months) was available. The NT appearances were subdivided into two forms: a ‘notched’ or ‘uniform’ appearance. The images were correlated with karyotype results [trisomy 21 (DS) vs euploid cases] and pregnancy outcome. Complicated outcomes were classified as being either DS fetuses, miscarriage or termination of pregnancy because of structural anomaly. Thus 30/35 (86%) of the euploid fetuses had a ‘uniformly’ increased NT, whereas 8/13 DS cases (62%) had a ‘notched’ appearance (Fisher's exact test, p=0.004). Additionally, 27/29 fetuses (93%) which had an uneventful pregnancy outcome had a ‘uniform’ increased NT, whereas 12/26 (57%) of the fetuses which had adverse pregnancy outcome had a ‘notched’ appearance of their NT (Fisher's exact test, p<0.001). Although it was not possible to correlate the sonographic data with post-evacuation microdissection findings, it is possible that a uniformly shaped, increased NT may be more representative of a developmental delay in a normal fetus. Conversely, a ‘notched’ nuchal surface may represent abnormal lymphatic or cardiovascular development more commonly seen in DS fetuses. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

废弃重组质粒DNA热处理效率的环境影响因素

为了解环境因素对质粒DNA热处理效率的影响以及热处理过程的有效性和安全性,以pET-28b质粒为材料,采用定量PCR技术结合质粒转化等方法分析了pH、NaCl、牛血清白蛋白(BSA)及EDTA浓度等因素对质粒DNA热处理的影响.结果表明,NaCl、BSA及EDTA的存在对热处理过程中的质粒DNA具有保护作用,且保护作用依次增强.在纯水中热处理30min后的质粒DNA可扩增的片段数仅是在0.1%的EDTA中热处理30min后质粒DNA可扩增片段数目的1.7%.由于生物实验室废水中通常含有上述有机或无机物质,因此,实际热处理过程中质粒DNA的降解半衰期可能远长于先前报道的2.7～4min,残留的转化活性也可能更高,这必须引起我们高度关注.但是,研究结果也表明,酸性条件下的热处理能加速质粒DNA的失活和降解,因此建议热处理过程可在弱酸性条件下完成,以强化其处理效果.     

太湖CDOM紫外吸收特性及其分子量时空分布特征

基于2006年8月16日、2007年3月28日对太湖梅梁湾15个样点和2007年11~12月对全湖61个样点的有色溶解性有机物(CDOM)吸收系数观测数据,对CDOM分子量相对大小的时空差异及其影响因素进行了分析.结果表明,梅梁湾地区主要富集的是高分子量CDOM,而大太湖地区则较为复杂,北部地区主要是高分子量的CDOM占据主导地位;而在太湖东西部,主要是低分子量的CDOM;南太湖区域,高分子量的CDOM和低分子量的CDOM相对平衡.不同波长范围内CDOM吸收模型的斜率系数(S)值对CDOM的分子组成的敏感性具有一定的差异性,UVR最为敏感,其次是UV-A,再次为UV-B,UV-C最不敏感.梅梁湾CDOM主要影响因素是陆源,陆源影响的强度随季节的变化具有一定的差异,其中8月份最强,其次是3月份,最弱为11月份.     

Integration of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell in a sugar-ethanol factory: analysis of the efficiency and the environmental profile of the products

The effect of the integration of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology in a sugar-ethanol factory on the environmental profile/footprint of the products (sugar, ethanol, electricity) is evaluated. The sugarcane is the primary feedstock and sugar, ethanol and electricity are the main products of the system, where the functional unit is defined as 9.86 ton/h of sugar, 2.195 ton/h of hydrated ethanol (96% w/w) and 847 kWh of electricity. A detailed set of material and energy inputs and outputs was obtained from a local factory and was completed using simulation data by Aspen Plus^®.The environmental impacts (greenhouse gases and air pollution), exergy efficiency and a renewability parameter have been considered as indicators for the comparative assessment with conventional sugar, ethanol and electricity production technologies. The results show that the use of a SOFC technology involves a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (52-55%) and non-renewable resources (60-64%) when compared with the conventional integrated sugar and ethanol plant. The higher renewability index (0.93) and exergy efficiency (38%) are noticed for the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology integrated in the sugar-ethanol factory than conventional sugar-ethanol plant.     

Deep-sea caging of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: Potential application in ecotoxicological studies

We experimented with caging the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) at various depths for 69 d to measure basic physiological parameters, histological response and bio-accumulation of contaminants in a deep-sea contaminated area. In preliminary experiments, we demonstrated, under artificial pressure conditions, the ability of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis to tolerate rapid immersion (at a speed of up to 120 m min^?1). In situ experiments were performed using submerged lines enabling mussels to be maintained at depths ranging of 40–1550 m with survival rates ranging from 80 to 38%, respectively. No significant differences in condition indexes were observed between treated and control specimens. However, histological observations demonstrated a clear reduction in thickness of the digestive epithelium with increasing depth exposure. By determining the contaminants in caged mussels, we found the following values for chromium accumulation: 27.4 μg g^?1 dry weight at 580 m depth and 9.8 μg g^?1 dry weight at 1550 m. Selected stations were located downstream of an industrial effluent at 420 m. The biological and environmental consequences of deep-sea contamination demonstrate the suitability of caged mussels for monitoring contaminant accumulation.     

Changes in diatom patch-size distribution and degradation in a spatially self-organized intertidal mudflat ecosystem

Self-organized spatial patterns have been proposed as possible indicators for regime shifts in ecosystems. Until now, this hypothesis has only been tested in drylands. Here, we focus on intertidal mudflats where regular spatial patterns develop in early spring from the interaction between diatom growth and sedimentation but disappear when benthic herbivore abundance increases in early summer, accompanied by a dramatic shift to a bare mudflat. We followed the patch-size distributions of diatom biofilms during this degradation process. As time progressed, we found a temporal change in the spatial configuration occurring simultaneously with the loss of the diatom-sediment feedback. This indicates a gradual failure in time of the self-organization process that underlies regular patterning in this ecosystem. The path to degradation co-occurred with the loss of the larger patches in the ecosystem, which resulted in a decrease of the truncation in the patch-size distribution. Hence, our study in mudflat ecosystems confirms the general hypothesis that spatial patterns can provide important clues about the level of degradation. Nevertheless, our study highlights the need for thorough study about the type of spatial patterns and the nature of the underlying feedbacks before a reliable assessment of ecosystem status can be made, as changes in patch-size distribution differed markedly with those observed in other ecosystems.     

Large-scale diversity and biogeography of benthic copepods in European waters

A large-scale database concerning benthic copepods from the Arctic, Baltic Sea, North Sea, British Isles, Adriatic Sea and Crete was compiled to assess species richness, biodiversity, communities, ecological range size and biogeographical patterns. The Adriatic showed the highest evenness and the most species-rich communities. Assemblages from the North Sea, British Isles, Baltic and Crete had a lower evenness. The British Isles were characterised by impoverished communities. The ecological specificity of copepod species showed two diverging trends: higher specificity of species in more diverse assemblages was observed in the Adriatic, North Sea and Baltic. A uniformly high species specificity disregarding sample diversity was found on Crete and in the British Isles. Benthic copepod communities showed distinct patterns that clearly fit the predefined geographical regions. Communities were distinguishable and β-diversity was found to be high around Europe, indicating a high species turnover on the scale of this investigation. The British Isles and the North Sea were found to be faunistic links to the Baltic and the Arctic.