Evaluation of a fetus at risk for dihydropteridine reductase deficiency by direct mutation analysis using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

Dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) is an enzyme involved in the recycling of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH₄), which is an obligate co-factor of the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. DHPR deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the QDPR gene. DHPR-deficient patients are diagnosed by a lack of response to a low phenylalanine diet and by severe neurological symptoms. Final diagnosis is made by measurements of neurotransmitters and pterin metabolites in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and urine, in addition to DHPR enzyme activity, which can be assessed in whole red blood cells. Treatment of DHPR deficiency can be difficult and the outcome is not always satisfying, even if all treatment strategies are followed. Therefore prenatal diagnosis is of great importance in affected families. Prenatal diagnosis is possible by measuring DHPR activity in different cell types but this is time consuming. More than 25 different mutations have to date been identified in the QDPR gene and direct identification of a mutation in a fetus would be easy and rapid. We have developed a method based on denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) for the analysis of the QDPR gene. The method is useful for rapid and simultaneous scanning of all exons and flanking intronic sequences of the QDPR gene. We describe the first prenatal diagnosis conducted using this method. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

辽宁省境内老哈河流域产沙特征及泥沙供给模式研究

在对辽宁省境内老哈河流域土壤侵蚀研究的基础上,通过计算泥沙迁移时间确定了该流域基于栅格尺度的泥沙输移比的空间分布,最终获得该流域的产沙量,结果表明北部的老官地、哈拉道口、烧锅营子等地以及中南部河流两侧是流域内主要产沙源;选用坡度、植被盖度、土地利用类型、土壤可蚀性、距河流距离、基岩岩性等因子,建立了老哈河流域泥沙供给的数学模型,结果表明流域产沙主要与坡度、距河流距离、土地利用类型和植被盖度密切相关。因此,改变土地利用类型、提高植被盖度是防治流域致灾泥沙的关键因素。本研究对今后老哈河流域土地利用规划及泥沙治理具有一定的指导意义。     

生态旅游环境友好型土地利用模式——以云南香格里拉县为例

根据对云南香格里拉县生态旅游环境友好型土地利用模式的野外调查和研究工作,分析出现象背后的模式内涵,总结形成该模式的地域特点,并指出此种土地利用模式解决的人地矛盾,为其它地区借鉴此种环境友好型土地利用模式提供实例参考,最后建设性地提出了推广此种模式应具备的条件,为具体实施提供理论指导。     

Seasonal variation of Microcystis in Lake Taihu and its relationships with environmental factors

In order to monitor the changes of Microcystis along with temporal and spatial variations, seasonal variation of Microcystis in Lake Taihu was investigated by 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (16S-23S rRNA-ITS DGGE) and microscopic evaluation. Samples were collected quarterly at four sites (River Mouth, Meiliang Bay, Cross Area, and Lake Center) from August 2006 to April 2007. Results showed that Microcystis dominated total phytoplankton abundance at the four sites in all seasons except winter. The average annual abundance of Microcystis was relatively high at River Mouth and Meiliang Bay, reaching 81.22×106 and 61.32×106 cells/L, respectively. For temporal variations, Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') according to DGGE profile revealed the richness of Microcystis in summer (H'=1.375±0.034) and winter (H'=1.650±0.032) was lower than that in spring (H'=2.078±0.031) and autumn (H'=2.365±0.032) (P<0.05). While for spatial variations, the richness of Microcystis at River Mouth (H'=2.015±0.074) was higher than at other sites during four seasons (P<0.01). Very few differences of Microcystis diversity in the same season were observed among the other three sites (P>0.05). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed to elucidate the relationships between Microcystis operational taxonomic units (OTUs) composition and the environmental factors. Results of CCA revealed that temperature was strongly positively correlated with the first axis (r=0.963), while TSS was negative correlated with the second axis (r=-0.716). Phylogenetic tree based on the sequencing results of target bands on DGGE gel indicated that samples collected in summer and winter constituted two separated clusters.     

安全伦理与安全生产——解析安全伦理命题,制定“道德的”安全生产激励政策

从分析社会发展对安全伦理命题的关注和中国安全生产问题所引发的道德问题入手,指明安全伦理命题对社会经济政治发展的正面作用;依据道德选择和道德评价时所诉诸的安全伦理原则,区分"道德的"和"不道德的"两种安全生产伦理范式,并在该基础上提出一个制定"道德的"安全生产激励政策的选择方案:建立国家工业事故预防的伦理战略和伦理指导制度;制定"公平的"、"合理的"安全资源分配政策;制定中小企业的"道德的"安全生产管理战略;建立安全活动领域的防腐败机制,维护社会正义;从"人权"道德规范出发,创立新的安全生产规范。     

Queue up, please! Spermathecal filling in the rove beetle Drusilla canaliculata (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

Most studies on insect sperm motility have been conducted in vitro using artificial environments outside the animal’s body. Only little is known about the function of motile insect sperm at different sites within the male or female genital tracts. We dissected genital tracts of female rove beetles (Drusilla canaliculata) to show that spermatozoa use their own motility to migrate from the spermatophore into the spermatheca. Our dissection method allowed direct observation and filming of the spermathecal filling process inside the female’s genital tract. Spermatozoa were found to enter the spermatheca individually, sometimes in groups of two or three. Although exhibiting only weak motility and no progressive motion in buffer solution, the spermatozoa inside the female show vigorous lashing and reach an average velocity of 47.5 μm s⁻¹. To gain mobility and speed, the spermatozoa likely utilize the relatively small diameter of the spermathecal duct to push themselves off the duct walls, rather than swimming freely in seminal fluid. The spermatozoa (approximately 1,250 μm) are considerably longer than the distance they have to travel along the spermathecal duct (approximately 800 μm). Our study provides the first direct observation of active sperm migration within the female of an insect stressing the importance of the genital tract as a prerequisite for functional sperm motility.     

环渤海地区海冰水资源农业利用研究

环渤海地区盐碱滩涂地面积广阔,淡水资源紧缺现状制约着该地区土地资源开发和农业利用。新型海冰水资源的开发和利用有望打开这种尴尬局面。实验结果表明:海冰水灌溉下台田土壤耕作层平均盐分含量为2.45 g/kg,可以保障土壤耕层安全;3 g/L海冰水灌溉与无灌溉处理相比,油葵增产31.3%、甜高粱总糖量增产21.2%、紫花苜蓿增产27.0%。可见以海冰水为水源的"台田-浅池"综合利用模式对环渤海地区改良和利用盐碱地具有重要的参考价值。     

电子鼻在环境监测中的应用与进展

电子鼻是一种模拟生物嗅觉工作原理的新形仿生检测系统,通常由交叉敏感的气体传感器阵列和适当的模式识别算法组成,可用于检测、分析和鉴别简单或复杂气味.作为新近发展的检测方法,它具有通用、快速、多功能、使用简单、低成本、便携、可自动化和在线监测等优势,在食品加工、环境临测、公共安全和医学诊断等诸多领域得到广泛的应用.随着在线...     

岩质边坡稳定性分析的模糊模式识别方法研究及应用

边坡稳定性分析是不确定性问题,伴有随机性的同时兼具模糊性.本文通过运用主成分分析法优选影响岩质边坡稳定性的特性指标,进而构建边坡稳定性模式和待识别边坡的隶属函数,并确定计算贴近度的方法,以此建立了边坡稳定性的模糊识别模型.在通过模型进行实例仿真的过程中,为综合考虑各种因素对边坡稳定性影响程度的大小,用德尔菲(Delph...     

煤炭企业差序格局下员工安全行为路径研究*

为促进煤炭企业员工安全行为,减少生产安全事故,基于差序格局理论、资源保存理论和自我决定理论,构建差序式领导、组织认同、安全动机和员工安全行为的链式中介模型。通过路径检验和Bootstrap方法,对367名煤炭企业基层员工的有效问卷数据进行统计分析,探讨激发员工安全行为的有效路径。研究结果表明:煤炭企业中的差序式领导可正向影响员工安全遵从行为和安全参与行为,且对安全参与行为的促进作用更强;组织认同和安全动机在差序式领导与员工安全遵从行为、安全参与行为的关系中存在独立中介和链式中介作用,且相较于组织认同,安全动机的独立中介作用更强。研究结果可为建立合理的差序标准、采取适度偏私手段提供参考。