Research progress of nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZII) and its relationship with the environment北大核心CSCD

The greenhouse effect has become increasingly serious globally. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is both the major ozone depleting substance and a potent greenhouse gas having a global warming potential 298 times that of CO2, and the N2O concentration is still increasing at an annual rate of about 0.8 × 10-9. Nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) can reduce N2O to N2, and until recently, the nosZ gene was the only gene known to be able to encode N2OR. Besides the well-known nosZI, a new lineage of the N2O-reductase (nosZ clade II), which is abundant and widespread in soils, has been identified. In this paper, the main characters of nosZII-containing microbial communities and the related working mechanisms are summarized. In addition to the main differences between nosZI and nosZII, the important environmental factors that regulate the composition, abundance, and expression of nosZII-containing communities are also discussed in this paper. Studies have shown that nosZII communities are distributed among a diverse range of bacterial and archaeal phyla, such as Epsilon-proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Aquificae. Interestingly, most of the nosZII microbes lack a nitrite reductase encoding gene (nirS or nirK) and are therefore unable to denitrify, indicating the importance of these communities as N2O sinks. Soil properties such as texture, pH, C/ N ratio, temperature, and lake physical gradient could regulate nosZII microbe abundance and diversity, and the pH and C/ N ratio may be the most important influencing factors. Studies on the ecological function of nosZII microbes have advanced considerably with the development of molecular biology technology. However, further studies on the community structure of nosZII microbes, the influencing factors of nosZII microbe abundance and diversity, and characteristics of nosZII strains with strong N2O reducing ability are needed. We hope to provide a theoretical basis that can be used to facilitate N2O reduction and relieve the greenhouse gas problem. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Compliance with recommended protective actions during an H7N9 emergency: a risk perception perspective

This study investigates the factors determining an individual's response to official recommended protective measures, based on the Health Belief Model and the Protective Action Decision Model, to understand the adoption of protective behaviour during an H7N9 (Avian Influenza A) emergency. A public survey involving 1,375 respondents was conducted in Anhui Province, China, during the 2013 H7N9 outbreak to test the research model and hypotheses. The results indicate that protective, stakeholder, and risk perceptions influence positively an individual's willingness to take recommended actions. Protective and stakeholder perceptions also have a positive bearing on lay people's risk perceptions. A stakeholder perception is a vital determinant of a protective perception. More importantly, the effects of protective and stakeholder perceptions on behavioural responses to recommendations are mediated in part by risk perception. These findings can help public health officials to develop messages to encourage members of the population to protect themselves effectively during an influenza crisis.     

Prenatal diagnosis of 47,XX,der(15)t(15;16)(q13;p13.2)

A case of prenatally detected partial trisomy 15 and 16 is reported. Amniocentesis was performed at 14 weeks' gestation because a 6-mm nuchal translucency was detected on a dating ultrasound evaluation. Karyotype from amniocytes was suspect of an aberration concerning a marker chromosome. FISH analysis demonstrated that this marker chromosome was a der(15). A maternal chromosomal rearrangement t(15;16)(q13;p13.2) was confirmed. At birth, the proband was severely hydropic and had dysmorphic features, which included hypertelorism, micrognathia, incomplete separation of the maxilla and mandible, hyperflexed hands with overlapping fingers, hyposegmented right lung, and a single umbilical artery. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transformations of nitrogen at the interface between the topsoil and an impervious clay subsoil

Much work has been done on gaseous emissions and leaching of nitrogenous compounds from whole soil profiles and also from soil surface measurements which are assumed to be mainly due to topsoil activity. In soils with an impervious clay subsoil, the boundary between the topsoil and subsoil may provide an interface for microbial activity, including N transformations. In this study, we investigated movement and transformations of two reactive N species (nitrate and urea) at the subsoil interface using a series of replicate, intact soil blocks, under two contrasting watering regimes. We measured fluxes in both liquid and gaseous phases and demonstrated that nitrate reaching the subsoil interface does not necessarily leach into water systems, but may denitrify immediately and could, therefore, add to atmospheric pollution through N₂O production. On the other hand, ammonium reaching the subsoil interface either directly, or after mineralization, appears to be more mobile than expected and has the potential to pollute watercourses.     

Correlating the Spatial Distribution of Atmospheric Ammonia with δ15N Values at an Ammonia Release Site

A field ammonia (NH₃) release experiment and open top chambers containing moorland monoliths continuously fumigated with NH₃ or sprayed with NH₄Cl were used to assess the potential for using ¹⁵N values in determining the area of influence around a point NH₃ emission source. ¹⁵N values are being increasingly used as environmental tracers and we tested the hypothesis that the ¹⁵N signal from an NH₃ emission source is observable in nearby vegetation. Using modified monitoring devices, atmospheric NH₃ concentrations were found to decrease with distance from source, with ¹⁵N values also reflecting this trend, producing a signal shift with changing concentration. Open top chamber studies of ¹⁵N values of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull indicated a correlation with deposition treatments in current year shoots. Analysis of Calluna shoots from the NH₃ release showed a similar trend of ¹⁵N enrichment. Significant linear correlations between ¹⁵N and percent N in plant material were found, both in the controlled conditions of the open top chambers and at the NH₃ release site, illustrating the possible use of this technique in N deposition biomonitoring.     

N2O大气污染演变及源汇分布

N2O是一种痕量气体，对大气化学和温室效应具有重要影响。N2O在大气中的浓度正日益增长，而且呈现出以3年为步长的振荡周期特点。N2O的释放源包括人为源和天然源，人为源是导致其增长的主要原因。N2O的汇主要在平流层，但N2O被破坏的同时也导致臭氧层的消耗。     

Accumulation of pollutant nitrogen in calcareous and acidic grasslands: Evidence from N flux and 15N tracer studies

Semi-natural calcareous and acidic grasslands are known to be sensitive to increased atmospheric N deposition. However, the fate of pollutant N within these systems is unknown. This paper reports on the first studies to determine the fate of added N within a calcareous and an acidic grassland subject to long-term simulated enhanced N deposition. Intact soil/turf cores were removed from field plots treated for six years with enhanced N deposition (ambient +0, +35 and +140 kg N ha^–1 year^–1). Cores were inserted into lysimeters and output fluxes of N were monitored in detail. Complete N budgets—calculated from the N flux data—showed considerable accumulation of N within the treated grasslands, up to 76% and 38% of pollutant N in the calcareous and acidic grasslands respectively. In the second study, the short-term (21 day) fate of pollutant N was determined by tracing ¹⁵N labelled ammonium nitrate (+35 kg N ha^–1 year^–1) though the acidic and calcareous lysimeters into plant, soil and leachate pools. Up to 91% and 59% of ¹⁵N was recovered in soils and vegetation of the calcareous and acidic grasslands respectively, with negligible amounts recovered in soil extractable ammonium and nitrate (<0.3%) and in leachate (<0.02%). This rapid short-term immobilisation of pollutant N supports the long-term accumulation of the element calculated from the N flux study.     

Estimating the Relative Efficiency of Brazilian Publicly and Privately Owned Water Utilities: A Stochastic Cost Frontier Approach1

Abstract: This paper assesses cost efficiencies of Brazilian public and private companies of water supply. To measure the efficiency, we used a stochastic frontier model derived from the translog family – a specification similar to a Cobb‐Douglas including a quadratic term in log output. The model parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood using Brazilian data for the year 2002. Statistical inference leads to the conclusion that there is no evidence that private firms and public firms are significantly different in terms of efficiency measurements.     

己二酸装置排放尾气中的N_2O测定方法的研究

研究了己二酸装置排放尾气中的N2O的测定方法和条件。建立了气相色谱法、TCD检测器和Paropak Q和GDX-103色谱填充柱测定方法。方法的检出下限为5 mL/m3;线性相关系数为0.9954。