Alpha-thalassaemia prenatal diagnosis by two PCR-based methods

In Cyprus all couples carrying α⁰-thalassaemia mutations are detected in the course of the thalassaemia carrier screening program and prenatal diagnosis is offered to all of them. Prenatal diagnosis for α-thalassaemia is routinely done by two independent molecular methods. With the first method, the mutations of the parents are directly determined by gap-PCR and then the chorionic villus sample (CVS) is examined for the presence of these mutations. With the other method, a (CA)_n repeat polymorphic site located between the ψα₁- and α₂-globin genes is used for determining the presence or absence of the normal and mutant alleles. In the period from 1995 to 1999, molecular analysis of 46 couples in which haematological data were consistent with deletion of two α-globin genes in both partners indicated that only 13 of them were actually at risk for haemoglobin (Hb) Bart's hydrops fetalis and prenatal diagnosis was provided in 16 pregnancies. The molecular diagnosis was possible in all cases with the use of both gap-PCR and (CA)_n repeat polymorphisms analysis. No misdiagnosed cases for α-thalassaemia have been reported to date. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

悬挂链脉动波式曝气系统及相关工艺的研究

曝气技术与设备一直是活性污泥处理工艺中的核心组成部分 ,但目前使用的曝气设备存在着诸多不足之处 ,影响了整个处理工艺的效果。悬挂链脉动波式曝气系统解决了长期困扰的问题。本文通过 3个部分分析了该技术的设备特点、工艺特点和经济性。通过对悬挂链移动曝气技术与设备的研究 ,为今后我国兴建污水处理厂提供了一条低投资、高效能的途径 ,使我国在较短时间内提高污水处理率成为可能     

发展循环经济产业链与推进农村减排研究

在全面分析农村环境污染现状、成因及危害,阐述农村循环经济内涵、特征的基础上,研究并设计出了减量化技术等四种农村循环经济产业链减排技术,提出并建立了以沼气为纽带资源利用型等八种循环经济产业链推进农村减排发展模式。通过农村循环经济产业链模式的推广运用,不仅可以使农村人畜粪便、农作物秸秆等废弃物实现资源化并得到充分利用,减轻农村环境污染,还从根本上改变农村环境脏乱差现象,而且可以促进农业增效农民增收,是推进农村污染减排建设生态文明和实施农村可持续发展最佳选择。     

生物除磷系统中聚磷菌检测常用技术

作为生物除磷系统中的主要功能菌,对聚磷菌菌群进行定性、定量分析是深入理解生物除磷系统、提高除磷效率的必然趋势。目前常用于检测聚磷菌的方法主要有生物化学法和分子生物学法,文章主要阐述了荧光原位杂交技术、聚合酶链反应技术、变性梯度凝胶电泳技术以及多技术结合使用的特点及应用情况,并在此基础上提出了改进措施以及聚磷菌检测技术的发展方向。     

Industry to Industry By-products Exchange Network towards zero waste in palm oil refining processes

This paper presents a systematic framework for optimal utilization of by-products generated during crude palm oil refining processes. Three by-products are considered in the supply chain network: soapstock, palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) and spent bleaching earth (SBE). These by-products, generated from neutralization, deodorization and bleaching processes, are viable feedstocks to other commercial industries such as animal feed, biodiesel, lubricant and soap. The case study is formulated as Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and integrated into the framework with the objective to maximize the refinery's profit as well as moving towards a conscious mindset of zero waste. This is the first time that such framework is developed and applied for the palm oil industry. The framework is called as Industry to Industry By-products Exchange Network (I2IBEN). An illustrative case study demonstrates a significant potential profit of MYR182, 893 per month.     

Is ISO 14001 a gateway to more advanced voluntary action? The case of green supply chain management

Using Japanese facility-level data, we estimate the effects of ISO 14001 certification on the promotion of more advanced practices, namely green supply chain management (GSCM). Our results show that ISO 14001 promotes GSCM practices. Facilities with environmental management systems (EMS) certified to ISO 14001 are 40% more likely to assess their suppliers' environmental performance and 50% more likely to require that their suppliers undertake specific environmental practices. Further, government programs that encourage voluntary EMS adoption indirectly promote GSCM practices. These programs increase the probabilities that facilities will assess their suppliers' environmental performance and require suppliers to undertake specific environmental practices by 7% and 8%, respectively. Combined, these findings suggest that there may be significant but previously unnoticed spillover effects of ISO 14001 and government promotion of voluntary action.     

A combined ecosystem and value chain modeling approach for evaluating societal cost and benefit of fishing

We describe a combined ecological and economic approach aimed at giving more equal emphasis to both disciplines, while being integrated so that design, analysis, data entry and storage, and result capabilities are developed with emphasis on deriving a user-friendly, easily accessible tool. We have thus developed the approach as an integrated module of the freely available Ecopath with Ecosim scientific software; the world's most widely applied ecological modeling tool. We link the trophic ecosystem model to a value-chain approach where we explicitly and in considerable detail keep track of the flow (amounts, revenue, and costs) of fish products from sea through to the end consumer. We also describe the social aspects of the fish production and trade, by evaluating employment and income diagnostics. This is done with emphasis on distribution income while accounting for social aspects of the fishing sector. From a management perspective, one of the interesting aspects of the approach we introduce here, is that it opens for direct evaluation of what impact management interventions, e.g., quota settings, effort regulation, or area closures, may have on the ecosystem, the economy and the social setting, as well as on food availability for the consumer.     

Modeling fecundity in birds: Conceptual overview, current models, and considerations for future developments

Fecundity is fundamental to the fitness, population dynamics, conservation, and management of birds. For all the efforts made to measure fecundity or its surrogates over the past century of avian research, it is still mismeasured, misrepresented, and misunderstood. Fundamentally, these problems arise because of partial observability of underlying processes such as renesting, multiple brooding, and temporary emigration. Over the last several decades, various analytical approaches have been developed to estimate fecundity from incomplete and biased data. These, include scalar arithmetic formulae, partial differential equations, individual-based simulations, and Markov chain methodology. In this paper, we: (1) identify component processes of avian reproduction; (2) review existing methods for modeling fecundity; (3) place these diverse models under a common conceptual framework; (4) describe the parameterization, validation, and limitations of such models; and (5) point out future considerations and challenges in the application of fecundity models. We hope this synthesis of existing literature will help direct researchers toward the most appropriate methods to assess avian reproductive success for answering questions in evolutionary ecology, natural history, population dynamics, reproductive toxicology, and management.     

Application of Markov-chain model for vegetation restoration assessment at landslide areas caused by a catastrophic earthquake in Central Taiwan

The 921 earthquake caused a catastrophic disaster in Central Taiwan. Ten years have passed since the earthquake occurred. Vegetation succession is the basis for establishing a restoration reference which plays an important role in vegetation restoration at landslide sites. Generally, growth conditions for grass are easier and the growth rate is faster than that for trees. Therefore, grass can be considered a pioneer species or an important reference for the early vegetation succession stage. This is the reason why grass is required to be extracted from other land covers. Integrating remote sensing, geographic information system and image classification into vegetation succession models is very important. In this study, the Markov chain model was applied for vegetation restoration assessment and discussion. Chiufenershan and Ninety-nine peaks were selected as the study areas. Five SPOT satellite images are used for land cover mapping and vegetation restoration simulations. Four categories of land covers were extracted, including forest, grass, bare land and water, respectively. From the transitive probability matrix (derived from any two land covers), the results show that vegetation restoration at the Chiufenershan and Ninety-nine peaks landslide areas is ongoing, but that has been disturbed by natural disasters.