A comprehensive review of climate adaptation in the United States: more than before, but less than needed

We reviewed existing and planned adaptation activities of federal, tribal, state, and local governments and the private sector in the United States (U.S.) to understand what types of adaptation activities are underway across different sectors and scales throughout the country. Primary sources of review included material officially submitted for consideration in the upcoming 2013 U.S. National Climate Assessment and supplemental peer-reviewed and grey literature. Although substantial adaptation planning is occurring in various sectors, levels of government, and the private sector, few measures have been implemented and even fewer have been evaluated. Most adaptation actions to date appear to be incremental changes, not the transformational changes that may be needed in certain cases to adapt to significant changes in climate. While there appear to be no one-size-fits-all adaptations, there are similarities in approaches across scales and sectors, including mainstreaming climate considerations into existing policies and plans, and pursuing no- and low-regrets strategies. Despite the positive momentum in recent years, barriers to implementation still impede action in all sectors and across scales. The most significant barriers include lack of funding, policy and institutional constraints, and difficulty in anticipating climate change given the current state of information on change. However, the practice of adaptation can advance through learning by doing, stakeholder engagements (including “listening sessions”), and sharing of best practices. Efforts to advance adaptation across the U.S. and globally will necessitate the reduction or elimination of barriers, the enhancement of information and best practice sharing mechanisms, and the creation of comprehensive adaptation evaluation metrics.     

Extraction of DNA from amniotic fluid cells for the early prenatal diagnosis of genetic disease

Ten-ml samples of amniotic fluid were taken from pregnancies being terminated at 8–14 weeks' gestation. DNA was extracted from the amniotic cells by sequential centrifugation and analysed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifteen samples were analysed for evidence of maternal contamination using Mfd5 oligo-nucleotide primers for repeat polymorphisms. Ten amniotic fluid samples were tested for the Delta-F₅₀₈ deletion characteristic of cystic fibrosis to demonstrate a diagnostic application for the technique. In each case, DNA extracted from fetal tissue from the same pregnancy was included in the controls. In 14 of the 15 cases tested with the Mfd5 primers, both the amniotic fluid DNA and the fetal DNA showed no evidence of contaminating DNA. In one case, neither the amniotic fluid cells nor the fetal cells yielded results. In nine of the ten cases tested with the Delta-F₅₀₈ primers, the amniotic fluid cell DNA provided accurate information about the genetic status of the fetus; in the tenth, the fetal DNA failed to amplify. The results indicate that adequate DNA can be extracted from amniotic fluid from 8 weeks' gestation onward and these samples are suitable for prenatal diagnosis using PCR.     

Prenatal diagnosis for dystrophia myotonica using the polymerase chain reaction

The polymerase chain reaction has been used to detect an abundant class of short repeat DNA families of the form (dC-dA)n.(dG-dT)n, known as microsatellites. These units are found throughout the human genome and have been characterized for several loci including APOC2 on chromosome 19ql2-ql3.2. The locus APOC2 is linked to the gene for dystrophia myotonica and a microsatellite within this locus was used to derive polymorphisms in a family to predict the inheritance of the disease. Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) was performed at 151/2 weeks' gestation. Following DNA extraction from the CVS material and parental blood samples, microsatellite analysis was carried out by the polymerase chain reaction.     

Prenatal measurement of the fetal cerebellum and cisterna cerebellomedullaris by ultrasound

The fetal cerebellum can be visualized with ultrasound throughout the second trimester. We describe a technique for measuring the transverse and anteroposterior cerebellar diameters and the measurement of the cisterna magna in the same plane between 14 and 32 weeks gestation. Nomograms for these measurements against gestational age showed good correlation, and narrow confidence limits for the transverse cerebellar diameter. The transverse cerebellar diameter was also measured directly in 79 fetuses after mid-trimester abortion and the measurements obtained were compared with the ultrasound TCD nomogram. Good correlation, was obtained between the post mortem measurements and the ultrasound TCD nomogram. Routine use of these measurements and nomograms should prove valuable in the diagnosis of congenital abnormality of the posterior fossa and may also be of use in assessing the effect of severe intrauterine growth retardation and other insults on cerebellar growth and development. The narrow confidence limits obtained with the TCD nomogram should enable it to be used with confidence in clinical practice.     

SPE-UFLC-MS/MS法测定制药废水中四环素类抗生素

文章建立了利用固相萃取-超快速液相色谱-串联质谱(SPE-UFLC-MS/MS)测定制药废水中四环素类抗生素(土霉素、四环素和金霉素)残留的方法。水样经(30%硫酸锌+20%亚铁氰化钾)溶液作为沉淀剂沉淀蛋白质后,上清液采用Oasis HLB固相萃取柱富集和净化,以(0.1%甲酸溶液+乙腈)为流动相进行梯度洗脱,经Agilent ZORBAX SB C18柱分离后,在串联质谱ES(I+)模式下进行MRM检测。该方法四环素类抗生素检出限(S/N=3时)0.02μg/L,3种目标物在0.010¹.0 mg/L范围内线性关系良好,线性相关系数在0.998 21.0 mg/L范围内线性关系良好,线性相关系数在0.998 2⁰.999 8之间。在0.20、0.40和0.60μg/L添加水平,各组分的回收率在80.8%0.999 8之间。在0.20、0.40和0.60μg/L添加水平,各组分的回收率在80.8%⁹7.2%之间,相对标准偏差在5.31%97.2%之间,相对标准偏差在5.31%⁹.92%之间。该方法可满足制药废水中四环素类抗生素残留检测的要求。     

Eutrophication of freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems a global problem

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Humans now strongly influence almost every major aquatic ecosystem, and their activities have dramatically altered the fluxes of growth-limiting nutrients from the landscape to receiving waters. Unfortunately, these nutrient inputs have had profound negative effects upon the quality of surface waters worldwide. This review examines how eutrophication influences the biomass and species composition of algae in both freshwater and costal marine systems. MAIN FEATURES: An overview of recent advances in algae-related eutrophication research is presented. In freshwater systems, a summary is presented for lakes and reservoirs; streams and rivers; and wetlands. A brief summary is also presented for estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. RESULTS: Eutrophication causes predictable increases in the biomass of algae in lakes and reservoirs; streams and rivers; wetlands; and coastal marine ecosystems. As in lakes, the response of suspended algae in large rivers to changes in nutrient loading may be hysteretic in some cases. The inhibitory effects of high concentrations of inorganic suspended solids on algal growth, which can be very evident in many reservoirs receiving high inputs of suspended soils, also potentially may occur in turbid rivers. Consistent and predictable eutrophication-caused increases in cyanobacterial dominance of phytoplankton have been reported worldwide for natural lakes, and similar trends are reported here both for phytoplankton in turbid reservoirs, and for suspended algae in a large river CONCLUSIONS: A remarkable unity is evident in the global response of algal biomass to nitrogen and phosphorus availability in lakes and reservoirs; wetlands; streams and rivers; and coastal marine waters. The species composition of algal communities inhabiting the water column appears to respond similarly to nutrient loading, whether in lakes, reservoirs, or rivers. As is true of freshwater ecosystems, the recent literature suggests that coastal marine ecosystems will respond positively to nutrient loading control efforts. RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: Our understanding of freshwater eutrophication and its effects on algal-related water quality is strong and is advancing rapidly. However, our understanding of the effects of eutrophication on estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems is much more limited, and this gap represents an important future research need. Although coastal systems can be hydrologically complex, the biomass of marine phytoplankton nonetheless appears to respond sensitively and predictably to changes in the external supplies of nitrogen and phosphorus. These responses suggest that efforts to manage nutrient inputs to the seas will result in significant improvements in coastal zone water quality. Additional new efforts should be made to develop models that quantitatively link ecosystem-level responses to nutrient loading in both freshwater and marine systems.     

兰州地区大气臭氧时空变化及影响因素研究

本文采用OMI臭氧遥感数据,结合甲醛垂直柱浓度、气象数据以及经济数据,分析了2005~2015年兰州地区臭氧柱浓度时空变化格局,并探索了影响臭氧的新气象因子,总结达到臭氧污染的日照、气压等气象条件,确定影响臭氧柱浓度的主要人为源并确定其限域。结果表明:1)2005~2015年夏季柱浓度值最高,冬季、秋季次之,春季最低;夏季波动幅度最大,其余三季波动幅度较小且平稳。2)11年中,臭氧柱浓度具有较大的波动。2005年至2010年快速增长到最高值331.997 DU。2010年之后,臭氧柱浓度缓慢下降,2014年起有回升趋势。3)OMI遥感数据具有较高的可靠性,并根据AQI的线性关系划分了臭氧柱浓度的污染等级。结果指示了11年大气臭氧空间变化,2005~2009年5年间研究区全区空气质量一直处于良,2010年全区轻度污染,后两年污染逐渐减弱,2013~2015年全区恢复至良。4)根据兰州发展的趋势以及周边城市的关系,划分了兰州经济圈及功能区,并结合臭氧柱浓度空间分布图得出臭氧污染与经济特征的密切关系。5)正弦模型拟合后臭氧柱浓度变化趋势呈不明显的周期性,说明臭氧的人为来源贡献较大。6)创新探索影响臭氧污染的新气象因子(日照、气压等参数),并确定其重要人为源限域。